


This Used To Be A Home

by SquidVicious



Series: When We Were Young [1]
Category: Harry Potter - J. K. Rowling, Hogwarts Mystery
Genre: Alternate Universe - Hogwarts, And maybe what we find isn’t what we expect, And perhaps Jacob isn’t the good guy we’ve all assumed, Cursed Vaults, Finding Jacob, Hogwarts, Hogwarts Era, Hogwarts Mystery - Freeform, Hogwarts Mystery Gang, Hogwarts Nine, Multi, The Cursed Student
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-07-25
Updated: 2019-04-14
Packaged: 2019-06-16 05:39:36
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 19
Words: 97,815
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/15430179
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/SquidVicious/pseuds/SquidVicious
Summary: Ariadne Young has spent five years trying to unravel the mystery of what happened to her brother Jacob in the cursed vaults. Now in her sixth year, Ari has found the enterance to the last vault, and with it, the promise of her brother. With the help of her friends, she must decide if she wants to confront what Jacob may have found- and if the brother she remembers was really the brother she knew.





	1. Prologue

**Author's Note:**

> When I was a kid, my grandpa told me that he couldn’t watch the movie Troy because he refused to believe a Greek could have ever been blonde (forgetting, of course, about his own granddaughter with red hair and Greek parents).   
> Since the game requires you to create your own avatar, in that way, Ariadne is like me, but she’s not me anymore. This little Drabble I wrote spawned into 128 pages on word and a character I didn’t recognize. 
> 
> Just a few warnings right at the beginning:  
> 1\. This fic features violence and explores the possibility that maybe Jacob isn’t the good guy we’ve all assumed (after all, the game is from MC’s perspective and it’s entirely possible she is not a reliable narrator)  
> 2\. This fic features same sex relationships and if you don’t want to read it, click the x and move on with your life.   
> 3\. If you’re wondering how to pronounce the characters name, it’s Air-E-Add-Knee and Air-E specifically.

 

 

 

 

“It’s a dragon,” Charlie Weasley breathed, eyes lit up. He brushed a strand of thick, red hair from his face, ignoring that most of it had escaped the pony tail he’d sloppily constructed earlier that day.

 

“IT’S A DRAGON!” Ariadne Young screamed back, her own green eyes wide with fear. Charlie was half in front of her in a protective stance but his posture was shifting. She grabbed his arm in an attempt to pull him back but he didn’t budge. Couldn’t he see the danger they were in? How many times had her best friend Rowan warned her that her obsession with the cursed vaults was going to get her killed? How right Rowan was, Ari realized, as the huge, green scaled dragon unfurled it’s wings. 

 

She tugged Charlie’s arm again as every cell in her body screamed at her to run. She couldn’t leave him here. She dropped her brother’s journal to grab him with both hands, her quest officially abandoned. All that mattered was that they both survived. 

 

“We have to go, Charlie come on, we need to run,” she urged, pulling with all the strength in her body. Charlie was muscular and broad for a fifteen year old boy and Ari was no match for him. Still, somehow, she managed to force him back a step. He stumbled, falling backward, right as the dragon roared and sent a blast of flame right towards them. It only just missed them.  
Blue eyes met green, their limbs twisted. “What about the vault?” He asked as they scrambled to their feet. 

 

“We’ll die if we don’t run,” Ari said confidently, her own auburn hair swinging into her face.

 

“Your brother-“

 

“Was an idiot, just like we’ll be if we stay, Charlie COME ON!” She grabbed his hand and tugged hard, forcing him to run with her through the forbidden forest. They’d spent the last two years navigating these woods, hiding from centaurs (and occasionally negotiating with them), spiders, and other monsters in an attempt to find one of the vaults her brother Jacob had previously opened before vanishing forever. She always took Charlie with her when they ventured into the forbidden forest because no one had a better working knowledge of the creatures inside it (except maybe their friend Barnaby) and enough common sense to run when needed to.

 

Except, she realized, when confronted with an actual dragon. He had been speculating for the last two years a common Welsh lived in the forest and everyone brushed him off. Charlie’s obsessions with dragons knew no bounds. Ari herself had never given the idea any thought and she realized now how foolish that was. Hadn’t she chosen Charlie in part because he had been venturing into the forest alone for years? Why wouldn’t he be right?  
They reached his broom and mounted, her arms tight around his chest. She turned to look behind her and saw it lifting it’s own wings to take flight. Charlie was the best quidditch player at Hogwarts, but even she didn’t think he could outrun a dragon.  
“It’s right behind us!” She shouted into his ear. He kicked off and they were airborne, zooming through the air.

“Why is she so mad?” He shouted against the wind as they both turned their heads to look back. He dove, back into the cover of the trees, dodging left and right with a precision that made her a little sick. She tightened her grip on his chest.

 

“Because we bothered it?” She screamed back as another blast of fire just missed them again. She could feel the heat on the back of her neck. 

 

He pulled up and they were heading straight up, towards the sun. There was a reason, she remembered, why she never did well in flying class. It made her sick. He straightened out and began racing towards the castle, putting distance between them and the dragon. Another look back and she realized the dragon was done chasing them. She was heading back to her guarding place, the entrance of the cursed vault.

They landed on soft grass. Ari let go of Charlie and rolled onto her back, eyes closed, hair splayed around her, breathing hard. She felt Charlie thud next to her. He was laughing. “An actual dragon,” he said, nudging her with his arm. “Can you believe it?”

 

“I don’t want to,” she replied, squeezing her eyes shut tighter. 

 

“Ms. Young…Mr. Weasley,” a soft, familiar voice hovered above them, forcing her eyes open. Professor Dumbledore was there, with their heads of house, Professor McGonagall and Professor Sprout.

 

“In all my years-!” McGonagall spluttered, apparently too furious to speak.

 

“I expected better!” Sprout snapped, glaring at Ari.

 

“Let’s go. To my office, if you please,” Dumbledore sighed.

 

Ari and Charlie exchanged a glance as the clambered to their feet. Dumbledore had promised her last year he could not shield her from serious consequences if she broke the rules again. The look on her face promised a severe punishment. 


	2. Boxes

  _I need a family to drive me crazy_

_Call me out when I’m low and lazy_

_We won’t be perfect, but we’ll be fine_

_Because I’ve got your back_

_And you’ve got mine._

 

Rowan Khanna appeared on the lawn on the Burrow, already anxious. She tucked her thick, dark black hair behind her ear and adjusted her glasses that had gone askew from the portkey. Dark eyes encased in dark skin scanned for any sight of her best friend, but all she saw was a gnome scamper from one bush to another. She sighed. Maybe Ari was inside?  
She hadn’t heard from Ari since the last day of school. Ari herself was despondent, having spent every weekend after her adventure into the forbidden forest in detention with Professor Sprout.

 

“My parents threatened to send me to boarding school in Greece if I got in trouble again,” Ari had confided in Rowan on the train ride home. “I know they’re going to be mad.”

 

Rowan had reassured her that everything would be fine, but it was mid-August and she hadn’t heard any word from Ari at all.

 

 

She knocked on the door. Tall, long haired Bill opened it, an easy smile on his handsome face. Her heart quickened. She’d had a crush on him since her first year at Hogwarts and here he was, as handsome as ever. Still completely oblivious to her feelings, she realized.

 

“Rowan!” His smile widened and he pulled her into a tight hug. “It’s nice to see you.”

 

“You too,” she breathed, looking down at her feet. “Is it just me?”

 

“Just you,” he repeated, letting her in. “Literally. Just me, you, and Charlie. Mum took the littles out for supplies and dads at work.”

 

She stepped in as footsteps came thundering down the stairs. More red hair, blue eyes, and freckles greeted her in the form of Charlie Weasley. “Oh Rowan. Just you.”

 

“Just me,” she repeated like Bill had done earlier. It didn’t take a genius to figure out who Charlie was hoping to see. Charlie had been obviously interested in Ari since their first year. Obvious to Rowan, anyway, who could recognize anyone who felt the same way about Ari that she did. Not that she was in love with Ari, but she loved her deeply, like the sister she’d never had.

 

“Have you heard from Ari?” Rowan asked after an uncomfortable moment. Both Bill and Charlie shook their heads.

 

“I’ve written her though,” Charlie added. “Five letters at least.”

 

“I wrote her, too,” Bill said, plopping down on a worn couch. Bill and Ari had been close friends during his years at Hogwarts; both had a love of curse breaking that drew them together. Last year had been Bill’s last. Personally, Rowan thought that Bill was a stand-in for Jacob. He had six younger brothers and sisters and took to Ari like she was just another Weasley. At first, Rowan had been jealous of the close relationship between Ari and Bill, because Bill seemed so enamored with Ari. Maybe he had been. Ari had never reciprocated any feelings beyond friendship and Rowan swallowed her jealousy.

 

Besides, after last years dragon debacle it was clear that if any Weasley had a shot with Ari, it was Charlie. To Rowan, it made total sense. Ari, despite being a Hufflepuff, was a take no prisoners, all or nothing kind of girl. She was the best dueler Hogwarts had ever seen by a mile, fearless and incredibly loyal. Charlie Weasley, Rowan decided as she looked at his worried face, never had a chance.

 

Not that Charlie wasn’t a prize himself. At sixteen he already looked like a man, broad and toned with a square jaw and a handsome face. Not as handsome as Bill, she decided, but certainly handsome enough. She suspected he was drawn to Ari because of his own sense of adventure and loyalty as well. Charlie could look at the most fearsome creature and see something worth loving.

 

It made sense he could see Ari beyond the walls she put up, and find something there.

 

 

They didn’t wait long. Penny and Tulip strolled in moments later like they completely owned the Burrow, and maybe all of the country itself. Penny, the most popular and best looking girl in school, had her hair in her trademark yellow plaits, her blue eyes searching. Next to her, Tulip stood with the same suspicious look she always wore, her dark reddish brown hair pulled up into a pony tail. Her olive skin stood in contrast to Penny’s fair skin and Rowan saw how their fingers brushed, ever so gently, before they separated.

 

“No Ari?” Tulip asked dryly, her eyes laser focused on Charlie.

 

“Not yet,” Rowan said, too hopefully.

 

“I think her mom shipped her off to Greece. Isn’t that where her mom is from?”

 

“Yeah, I’m pretty sure,” Rowan responded, ignoring the knot forming in her stomach.

 

“If she’s in Greece we’ll just go get here. Dumbledore didn’t expel her,” Penny said decidedly.

 

“Our dad has been working on a flying car,” Bill said helpfully, sitting on the other side of Rowan. She tried to, but it was impossible with Tulip suggestively winking at her from across the room.

 

“We don’t need a flying car,” Charlie said impatiently. “We’ll just take-“

 

“Flying car?” A voice interrupted them from the door. Impossibly handsome, dark haired, tall and lean, Barnaby stood, his Slytherin prefect badge gleaming on his chest already. Even Rowan had had the good sense not to wear hers. She was waiting until tomorrow, when they all descended on Diagon Alley, to put it on.

 

It was possible Barnaby had never taken it off, she realized. Kind but not incredibly smart, he might have thought he needed to wear it every single day, in school or not. “How do we get a flying car? That sounds amazing.”

 

“We’re not taking a flying car,” Rowan said quickly, suppressing an eye roll.

 

“Because we’ll take a broom,” Charlie agreed.

 

“You’re going to FLY a BROOM across the continent?” Tulip interjected sarcastically. Charlie narrowed his eyes.

 

“Do you have a better plan?”

 

“Are we scheming?” A pink haired Tonks asked, erupting through the fireplace. “It doesn’t matter, I’m in.”

 

“Planning a jail break for Ari,” Penny explained.

 

“She’s in jail?” Tonks asked, eyes wide.

 

“Metaphorical jail,” Bill interjected. “Man, I am going to miss you guys.”

“We’re not gonna miss you mate,” Andre and Ben walked in together, looking carefree. Ben had grown from a terrified boy to a nervous and sometimes wary young man. Sandy blonde and blue eyed, he was a mousy comparison to dark skinned, dark haired, handsome Andre. Andre’s fashion sense was only eclipsed by his quidditch talent. Andre was almost Charlie’s equal on that front, although when it came to women, Andre beat Charlie every time. He was as popular as Penny at Hogwarts, and if Rowan didn’t suspect that Penny’s feelings laid somewhere else, she would be secretly rooting for them to get together, the way she rooted for all good looking people to get together. 

 

“Yeah, leaving us for the glamorous world of curse breaking,” Ben replied, sitting next to Tonks in front of the fire place. “Congratulations, by the way.” Ben couldn’t help but be nice, even when he was making fun of someone.

 

Bill beamed. “Thanks! It’s been an adventure, and I’m ready to really get started.”

 

“Yeah yeah,” Tonks shot back, but she was grinning. “All I hear is that you’re too good for us now.”

 

“He was always too good for us,” Tulip reminded Tonks.

 

“Not too good for me,” Barnaby joked, smiling suggestively at Bill. “We could have had a love that transcended anything Hogwarts had ever seen.”

 

“I didn’t know you were in love with Bill,” a soft voice from the doorway silenced them all. Ari stood there, framed by sunlight, her red hair cascading down her shoulders. “That’s gonna make my confession here really awkward.”

 

Rowan jumped up. “You’re alive!” she didn’t mean to shout it as loud as she did, nor did she mean to fling herself so hard at Ari that they fell backwards into the yard.

 

“Of course I’m alive,” Ari choked back.

 

“You didn’t write!” Rowan continued on, wrapping her leg around Ari’s.

 

“I know. My parent’s grounded me. It’s been a long summer. I’m only here because Mrs. Weasley showed up and told my parents to get a grip.”

 

“She said that?”

 

“Well…she said it nicer, but yeah.” Rowan released Ari and the two sat up on the grass and the rest of their friends piled out around them. “She reminded mum that mum wasn’t the only one with a disappointing child, but it was no reason to punish me forever.”

 

“Whose disappointing?” Charlie asked from the back of the group.

 

“Definitely you, mate,” Bill called back. He reached down and offered her a hand, pulling her into a hug when she accepted it. One arm was wrapped around her body, the other on the back of her head. “I was worried,” he whispered.

 

Rowan looked past the embrace to Charlie, who wore an unreadable expression on his face. She wasn’t the only one watching him. Ever shrewd, Tulip’s gaze was also focused on him.

 

“I’m sorry,” she whispered back before breaking apart. “I really am. I thought it was best to just lay low for the summer.”

 

“But now you’re ready to get back into curse breaking?” Andre’s question was more of a confident statement.

 

Ari shook her head. “No. No. I’ve put you all in so much danger the last six years-“

 

“Willingly. We’ve gone with you willingly,” Penny interrupted, her voice sincere.

 

“I know. You all are the most amazing friends I could have ever asked for. But I can’t keep risking your lives. Last year I nearly killed Charlie-“

 

“To be fair,” He interrupted, his voice placid, “It was me who almost killed you.”

 

She ignored this, took a deep breath, and continued. “And I can’t keep going on like this. I’m going to end up dead. Like Jacob.”

 

A ripple of protest erupted from everyone’s mouths. She held her hand up. “Maybe he’s not dead,” she conceded. “But he also doesn’t want to be found, and he isn’t worried about me. I can’t…no I WON’T spend my whole life chasing after a ghost. I want a normal year, a normal teenage experience. I don’t want to spend all my time obsessing over my brother. I want to do normal things so this year I’m taking Dumbledore’s advice and I’m going to just focus on myself.”

 

“You don’t have to do what Dumbledore says,” Tulip told her. Tonks nodded fervently.

 

“I WANT to. Can’t we just be a normal group of friends?”

 

“No,” Barnaby said.

 

“Nope,” Andre agreed.

 

“Definitely not,” Tonks chimed in.

 

“Well, we’re gonna try. Starting now,” Ari said firmly.

*

The Burrow was crowded, but oddly cozy, Charlie decided as he softly padded down the stairs. Barnaby was sharing a room with him. Across the hall Andre and Ben slept in Bill’s much larger room. Penny and Tonk’s were with his youngest sister, Ginny, and everyone else was in the living room. That’s where he was headed. He hadn’t been able to have a moment alone with Ari since she’d arrived and he was worried that her decision to abandon the cursed vaults was partly his fault. He’d spent too long admiring the dragon while she had tried to drag him away, and they’d nearly died. It was his fault she didn’t want to keep searching for them. He felt guilty.

 

He found Tulip and Rowan asleep but the blanket that Ari must have been under was abandoned. The front door was slightly ajar. He followed it out into the yard, where he found her standing in a thin t-shirt and checkered shorts.

 

“Hey,” he said, feet wet from the grass, his own flannel pants blowing in the breeze. She turned to look at him and his heart stuttered a bit. He was close enough he could count the freckles that dusted across her nose, that he could smell her against the night. “I’m sorry…about last year.”

 

“I know,” she whispered before turning back around to look back up at the stars. “I’m sorry, too.”

 

“I would want to know what happened to one of my brothers, if they vanished,” he said. “You don’t have to give up.”

 

“If Bill was alive, would he ever make you wonder?” She asked him. It wasn’t really a question because they both knew the answer. Bill would never. “I’m not giving up because of you, I’m doing this for me. I’m afraid of what Jacob might have found…and what might happen to all of us if I find out.”

 

They stood there in silence, listening to the crickets for so long he lost count. Finally she turned around, facing him again and Charlie reminded himself to breathe. Where did he belong in her life if she was just trying to be normal? He was afraid he didn’t fit in. She had never said one word to him until their fourth year, when Bill had suggested she ask him for help. If she wasn’t looking in the forbidden forest, what good was he to her?

 

They didn’t even have the luxury of being in the same house together, her a Hufflepuff and him a Gryffindor. There was literally nothing keeping them together anymore.

 

“We’ll go on normal adventures this year,” she said, interrupting his thoughts. His heart soared at the words. “Do normal things, like drink butter beer and talk about school and the normal Hogwarts gossip.”

 

“Are you sure you aren’t confusing me with Penny?” He asked. Ari laughed. Penny knew everything about everyone in school.

 

“Well, we can talk about it, too. In a more speculative way, since we have no way of knowing if it’s true.”

 

“That’s fair.”

 

It happened so quick it took him by surprise. She wrapped her arms around his neck, pressing her body against his in a hug. She hadn’t touched him since their escape on his broom and he’d been so full of adrenaline he had barely registered it. This was different. He could feel the heat from her body, the smell of her soap. He remembered how jealous he’d been of Bill, watching how easy it was for them to embrace, how Bill had no trouble telling her how he felt.

 

He was grateful she didn’t seem to feel the same. Charlie was hyper aware that if she snapped her fingers, Bill would have jumped. Bill had said, last year, that she saw him as the big brother she’d always wanted.

 

He realized he was being an ass, arms hanging at his sides, as he ruminated on her possible feelings for his older brother. He hugged her back, hands flat on her back, chin resting on top of her head. She burrowed her face into the crook of his neck for a moment, where they stood. Finally, she sighed, breaking away. He reluctantly let her go.

 

“This is going to be good for all of us.”

 

He nodded, watching as she walked back inside. He hoped she was right.


	3. High Hopes

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I have reformatted this chapter three times now, and for whatever reason it keeps squishing all my paragraphs together instead of putting breaks in between them. It’s not unreadable, it’s just really annoying (to me, anyway).

 

_Burn your biographies, rewrite history, light up your wildest dreams_

_Museum victories, everyday_

_We wanted everything, wanted everything_  

 

Ari took a deep breath at the sorting feast, grateful to be back. The first years were all in their houses, Dumbledore had warned them to stay out of the forbidden forest (she had stared down at her plate, avoiding eye contact as he talked), and now they were free. Penny, Tonks, Rowan and Ari all sat at the Hufflepuff table, piling food onto their plates. As she ate, she scanned the room for the rest of her friends. Barnaby, the lone Slytherin, chatted with some other boys, oblivious to anything going on around him. At the Ravenclaw table Tulip and Andre sat across from each other but talked to the people sitting next to them. She caught Tulip glancing over occasionally and tried to offer a smile, but Tulip always looked away too quickly. Gryffindor’s Ben and Charlie were no where near each other, each lost in conversation with someone else. She felt her stomach drop, just a little, seeing Charlie involved in an animated chat with a pretty blonde she didn’t recognize.

 

“Who is that?” She nudged Penny, drawing her attention to Charlie. Penny raised an eyebrow and looked at Tonks and Rowan before answering.

 

“That’s Emma Strong. She’s a seventh year and she’s on their quidditch team.”

 

“She’s pretty,” Ari said, unconcerned with how it sounded to admit that out loud. Her feelings surrounding Charlie were complicated and she didn’t really understand them. On the one hand, he was Bill’s younger brother, and since Bill was family that made Charlie family.

 

On the other hand…Charlie was…Charlie. He smelled like honey suckle and wet grass. He had saved her life. He looked up, perhaps feeling her staring, and their eyes locked. He smiled. She smiled back.

 

“Oh my Merlin if this is going to be the entire year I will actually die,” Penny said, rolling her eyes.

 

“Shut up,” Rowan said a little more fiercely than she meant. Ari turned around, smile still playing on her lips.

 

“It’s complicated,” she admitted.

 

“For you, maybe,” Tonks said, mouth filled with potatoes. “I reckon Charlie’s all sorted.”

 

“I just think-“ Penny started to say in a lofty tone, but Rowan interrupted quickly.

 

“What about your love life, Penny? Don’t you have someone special?”  
Tonks and Ari turned their gaze on Penny, who, to Ari’s surprise, turned bright red. “No-I-“ She stammered. “It’s complicated.”

 

“With who?” Tonks asked, fork abandoned. Penny shot daggers at Rowan.

 

“No one. Just drop it.”

 

“I think we should drop all boys, personally,” said Tonks. “They get in the way of doing real things…like pranking Filch, for instance.”

 

“For once, I agree with you,” said Penny. The three girls lifted their goblets.

 

“To ignoring boys,” Tonks said.

 

“To ignoring boys!”

*

 

“Did you tell Rowan about us?” Penny asked, hurriedly shutting the door behind her.

 

“Why would I tell Rowan anything personal about me?” Tulip responded as she sifted through the papers in Jacob’s old hideout.

 

“I think she knows,” Penny said, tugging on a braid nervously. “Something she said at dinner made me think-“

 

“Hey,” Tulip walked over, taking Penny’s hand in hers. “Are you ashamed?”

 

“No, I just-“

 

“Then don’t worry about it. Rowan isn’t going to out us even if she does know, which I’m sure she doesn’t.”

 

Penny wasn’t so sure, although when she looked back through her memories trying to figure out how much Rowan might have seen, she couldn’t pinpoint one moment that gave them away. They’d slept in separate areas at the burrow, they hadn’t walked next to each other in Diagon Alley, or secluded themselves or even spent an hour staring at the stars on the lawn like Ari and Charlie had done.

 

Still. Penny was uneasy. While Tulip had known she had liked girls her entire life, the revelation was new to Penny. She had liked boys, too. Liking Tulip hadn’t happened all at once, but slowly over years of knowing and getting to know each other.  
She’d confessed this summer, when they spent a week together. It had been a rush of jumbled words that Tulip silenced with a soft kiss. Penny wasn’t ready for all of Hogwarts to know, though, and Rowan guessing terrified her. She felt more paranoid than ever.

 

 

It wasn’t the only thing she was doing that she shouldn’t be. Ari might be done looking for Jacob but that didn’t mean she was. Tulip had suggested it the second after Ari gave her little speech.  
“No way I’m flushing five years down the toilet,” Tulip had fumed. “She’s gonna spend a month trying to be normal, get bored, and rope us all back in. We might as well just keep looking.”  
Jacob had a hidden room in Hogwarts that was untouched from when he’d been there. The only other person who knew about it, besides their group, was Merula and she barely came in anymore. It was the perfect place for the two of them to be alone, both because they liked each other and because they wanted to know what really happened to Jacob.  
“Ari still has Jacob’s journal,” Tulip said, tossing a stack of drawings back on his desk in annoyance.  
“No, she lost it in the forest when she was chased out by that dragon,” Penny reminded her. “And I doubt she’s going to go back in and get it.”  
“Charlie might,” Tulip suggested.  
“Charlie might sneak around Ari’s back?” Penny raised an eyebrow. It was common knowledge that he had a crush on her. Tonk’s had a secret pool on how long it would take the two of them to get together. Everyone had money on when they thought the two of them would finally get it together and, well, get together. In fact, the only person, outside of Charlie and Ari, obviously, that didn’t know was Rowan and that was because she was physically incapable of keeping a secret from Ari.  
“Not if you tell him what we’re doing,” Tulip thought for a moment. “But he might go back in if we framed it differently…like that she’s missing that link to her brother. Or, you know he can’t resist a dragon. I doubt it’s gone anywhere.”  
“I don’t know. We could try.”  
Tulip kissed Penny gently, holding one her braids between her fingers. “That’s the spirit.”

*

Rowan was back in the library. NEWTS were a year away, she reasoned. No reason not to get an early jump on things. What was surprising was that Barnaby plopped himself down at the same table she was at, flipped open a book, and began reading.  
“What are you doing?” She asked finally when her curiosity overwhelmed her. Barnaby looked up.  
“Reading?” He asked as if he was certain he was doing it.  
“No, I can see that. But why?”  
He held up the new Care of Magical Creatures book, his face lit up with excitement. “I want to see what it says!”  
Rowan leaned back in her chair, surprised. She didn’t know Barnaby was so interested in anything. Barnaby flashed her a smile and Rowan wondered if he’d always been handsome, or just handsome because he wasn’t the empty headed idiot she’d always assumed he’d been. It wasn’t like her and Barnaby had ever been close. Barnaby had been Merula’s friend before Ari charmed him in to switching sides and hanging out with them their third year. The only thing she’d really seen him do with any amount of enthusiasm was date and duel. Except…he was in her Care of Magical Creatures class last year, wasn’t he? And he’d always been paired up with Charlie Weasley, that had to say something, didn’t it? She remembered seeing the two of them constantly talking and laughing.  
“Are you taking Care of Magical Creatures this year?” He asked, noticing that she was staring.  
“Oh…no. It’s…I’m not really good at it,” Rowan told him lamely.  
“Oh, you should have told me! I could have helped! I really want to be a magizoologist when we get out of here. What about you?”  
She lowered her book, setting it spine down on the table. “A Hogwarts professor. The youngest ever,” she smiled at the thought. “So I have to really study.”  
“I hope you don’t mind me, then. I promise not to bother you,” he said, picking his book up.  
She nodded, picking hers up, too.  
What an odd boy, that Barnaby was.

*  
“Andre!” Ari chased after Andre at the end of charms. He was much further down the hall than she was, chatting with a pretty fifth year. “ANDRE!”  
“Merlin I heard you,” he grumbled, watching the girl walk away. “I was busy.”  
“Yeah, sorry,” Ari said, rubbing the back of her head with embarrassment.  
“Now she’s gonna think…never mind. What do you want, curse breaker?”  
“Remember when we met?”  
“Vividly.”  
“And you offered to set me up on a date?”  
Andre stopped in his tracks to look her up and down. “Are you asking me to set you up?”  
“Yeah, for the upcoming Hogsmede visit. Normal stuff, remember?”  
“And there’s no one else you’d rather go with?” He asked, emphasizing his words.  
“No?”  
“NO ONE ELSE?”  
“Merlin Andre are you okay? No, no one else, just someone you think I’d be good with. It’ll be fun. I’ve never been on a date before.”  
“Okay, curse breaker. You got it.” Andre watched her scurry off.  
“What was that all about?” Tulip stopped next to him.  
“Ari asked me to set her up on a date,” he said, moving towards the staircase again.  
“Oh good, I’ll win the pool,” Tulip smiled, falling into step.  
“No, not with Charlie. With anyone. Literally any random loser I can conjure up, she will go out with.”  
“What?” Snarled Tulip. “She said that?”  
Andre rolled his eyes. “Well, not those exact words, but that was the gist of it.”  
“So set her up with Charlie!”  
“Oh you sweet summer child,” Andre waved Tulip off. “You can’t force them together just so you’ll win the bet.”  
“Of course I can! How can she POSSIBLY think that going a date with someone else is a good, healthy idea? Doesn’t she have EYES? Or a BRAIN?”  
“I ask myself this every day.”  
Tulip suddenly began laughing. “Oh I have the best idea. Andre, pick someone awful. Someone just…terrible, and utterly self obsessed, but also loathsome at the same time.”  
“I’m not going to help you win the bet,” Andre scowled. “I have the winter ball, remember?”  
“If you pick someone amazing she’ll go with them instead you lump.” Tulip responded before stalking off.  
“What was that all about?” Charlieasked as Andre sat down at the Gryffindor table. He wanted to talk Quidditch, and who better than Gryffindor’s own Charlie Weasley? “Just Tulip being…Tulip.”

*

“Ari!” Charlie was out of breath by the time he caught up with her. She was almost to the lake, book in hand, blanket tossed over her arm. She was planning to read under a tree.  
“Hey Charlie, what’s up!”  
“Your brother’s journal,” he breathed, putting his hands on his knees as he tried to catch his breath. “We should go get it this weekend.”  
She tossed her book down into the grass and turned to him. “What part of ‘no more Jacob’ was I not clear about?”  
Charlie frowned, remembering what Penny had said.  
“It’s her only link left to Jacob. I know she’s missing it. You should get it for her.”  
“It’s your last link to your brother.”  
“That journal was full of pure nonsense, the writings of someone who was unwell,” she said, smoothing out her blanket. “And I don’t ever want to go back into the forbidden forest. There is a literal dragon in there.”  
“Did you drop it under the dragon?”  
“I don’t know where I dropped it, Charlie and I don’t want to find out. I want to do normal things.”  
“Since when? All this talk of normal, you were always normal. What’s more normal than wanting to find out what happened to your first friend?”  
She looked at the shiny prefect badge on his chest, eyes narrowed. “No, Charlie. Everyone calls me curse breaker. I’m constantly in trouble. Slytherin wins the house cup every single year, in part because I’m losing so many house points skulking around. I never just get to be, to sit under a tree with a book and read. Or do anything that isn’t obsessing over my brother. How often do you think about Bill?”  
“That’s- what is your book about, anyway?” He snatched it out of her hands. “‘Curses And Cures: The Modern Guide to Dueling’.” His voice trailed off as he read the book.  
“I’m thinking of starting a dueling club,” she admitted sheepishly.  
He took a step back. “Normal Ari wants to start a dueling club. Okay.”  
She jumped up, furious. “Compared to “normal Charlie” who wants to drag me back to death’s door just so he can look at a dragons again!!”  
“I said I was sorry!” He shouted back, unsure why they were even yelling. He wasn’t really angry with her. He was just frustrated that she seemed hellbent on trying to shove herself into this “normal” box when she was so obviously extraordinary.  
She sat back down and picked up her book. “I’m a really good dueler, Charlie.”  
He turned around and left without another word. He knew she was. That didn’t mean she couldn’t do both. He didn’t understand why she couldn’t see that she’d always been a normal girl who did normal things while also being the best curse breaker Hogwarts had ever seen. She’d outfoxed Madame Rakepick, one of the best cure breakers in the world, and even Bill seemed to think he would never be quite as good as she was. She had cultivated close friendships with people in every house which was more than most people could say and she’d opened four cursed vaults.

“You look mad,” Ben noted as Charlie stormed into their dorm room.  
“Yeah, Ari and I had an argument,” he said, flopping onto his bed.  
“Is it over Peter Gibson?”  
“Peter Gibson?” A Gryffindor seventh year with dark black hair and blue eyes and a penchant for dating girls younger than him.  
“Yeah, Ari’s going on a date with him.”  
“WHAT?” Charlie shouted it louder than he meant. Ben recoiled slightly.  
“Hey man don’t shoot the messenger, it was Andre who set them up.”  
Charlie almost exploded all over the room. How could Andre set Ari up with someone? How could Ari agree to it? He had hoped, foolishly, he now realized, that she felt the same as he did. He fell back again. Obviously she didn’t. She’d made it clear down at the lake, hadn’t she? They were barely friends and it was stupid of him to think she’d ever like him.  
“You could always ask Andre to set you up…” Ben offered but Charlie shook his head. He wasn’t going to date just to date.

*  
“GIBSON?” Tonks exploded the second Ari walked into Herbology. Rowan and Penny were both frowning at her. “Are you for real?”  
“He’s…” she trailed off when she saw the looks on their faces.  
“A git,” Rowan supplied.  
“Self-involved?” Penny asked.  
“Kind of creepy, if you ask me,” Tonks interjected.  
“Well, I didn’t ask. Peter seems perfectly nice, he asked me in person and everything.”  
“Is that all it takes? Because here, will you go to Hogsmead with me?” Tonks retorted, pulling her gloves on with more violence than she intended. “That’s a low bar.”  
“You’re being unfair,” Ari complained, grabbing her pot and going to the other end of the table.  
“How long is she going to torture everyone with her normal girl stuff?” Penny whispered as Sprout sailed in. Rowan shrugged.  
“You know that once she gets these ideas it’s impossible to sway her. We’ve got to just let this run it’s course.”  
“Peter Gibson dated a third year last year, for four months.” Penny said, eyes narrowed. “His is not a good guy.”  
“Ari can take care of herself,” Rowan said firmly. “If we support her and pretend like nothing is out of the ordinary this will fizzle out really quick.”  
“Yeah,” Tonks muttered to Penny once Rowan turned away. “But at what cost to my chances in the pool?”  
Penny nodded.


	4. Diamonds

  _Out of the shadows we saw the sun_

_Now the tables have turned and it’s our time to shine_

_A little patience, it goes far. We’ve_ _been dancing in the dark_

_A clearer sky hides behind all the dark clouds_

 

 

Everyone was on pins and needles when the first trip to Hogsmeade rolled around. Ari had taken off early before anyone had gotten a change to see her or say anything to her, leaving the rest of them to wildly speculate.

 

“He’s been asking me about her for years,” Andre admitted as they walked down to the village. “It just made sense.”

 

“Wrong. Nothing about this makes sense,” Tonks corrected.

 

“This is going to be so good for her,” Tulip smirked, confident that the date would be a total disaster. Next to her, Penny looked over at Charlie who was silently brooding.

 

“We should get some butter beer,” Barnaby decided, bored of speculating on Ari’s love life.

 

“You guys go ahead, I’m going to Zonko’s,” said Tulip. Tonks jogged after her.

 

“I want to check out a book,” Rowan admitted, veering towards the bookstore.

 

“Boo!” Ben called after her but Rowan ignored him.

 

“I actually need potion supplies, but I’ll catch up with you later?” Penny told them.

 

“I guess it’s just us guys today,” Ben noted once Penny was gone.  
“Speak for yourself. I also have a date,” Andre mock smoothed his hair back, flashing them a smile. “I will catch you guys later.”

 

“Fine, just us,” Ben reiterated, looking at an oblivious Barnaby and a sulking Charlie. “Perfect.”

 

 

*

 

Things were off to an okay start. Peter was tall and handsome and dressed well. She had put on a soft, strappy lavender dress and some nice, knee high boots. It was too chilly for the open back she was sporting so she’d tossed a black cardigan over it, her hair loose and curled, her face lightly made up. Peter seemed impressed when he saw her which was what she was hoping for.

 

He’d taken her to Madame Puddifoots which was not what she was hoping for. Everyone here was so…intimate. She barely knew him. They were shoved into a corner and the table was so small it was nearly impossible not to touch him if her hands were resting on the table. She kept them in her lap. It was obvious he had much more experience with girls and dating in general which made her nervous.

 

“What’s your favorite class?” He asked after one foaming beverage with two straws was set in front of them.

 

“Uh-“

 

“Mine is potions. I know Snape can be an ass but potions itself it so soothing, and unchanging. You don’t need a lot of fancy pronunciations or hand waving, just an ability to do math and measure, you know?”

 

She nodded, and was surprised when he kept talking. He had asked her a question, hadn’t he? Didn’t he want to know her response?

 

She looked around at the other couples who seemed to at ease with each other. Kissing, touching, laughing. She wanted that. She looked back at Peter, who didn’t seem to realize her mind was wandering.

 

“Are you nervous?” He cut through her thoughts.

 

“A little,” she admitted. He laughed, which bothered her. “I’ve never been on a date before.”

 

“I have to admit, when Andre asked if I wanted go on a date with the cursed girl I was shocked. I didn’t think you cared for anything or anyone but your brother. I thought, ‘this will probably make a good story’ but you’re not as weird as I thought you’d be.”

 

It was dawning on her that this was a terrible mistake. She was suddenly hot, maybe from her own embarrassment, and she shrugged off her cardigan. She saw him look over her. He wasn’t even subtle as his eyes stared down her breasts. Her cheeks were burning.

 

“You came…as…what? A joke?

 

He leaned back, regarding her carefully. “No…more of a curiosity? I think everyone is a little interested in what you’re like, personally but you’re impossible to get near. And it’s not like you’re…not attractive.”

 

She blinked, rapid fire, to keep from crying. “No, right. That…that makes sense.”

 

His smile never faded. He leaned forward again, hands inches from the drink they were supposed to share. “Don’t take it personally. This is going to be a fun day, I promise. You’ll tell me all about you and I’ll-“

 

She reached forward, purposeful, pretending to reach for the drink but instead knocking over, drenching his arms and his lap as it spilled down the table.

 

“Oh Merlin, I’m so clumsy,” she said as a waitress rushed over with napkins.

 

“No worries, I’ll just-“ he pointed his wand towards his pants but she was already rushing towards the back, where the bathrooms were. It was also where the kitchen was. Ignoring the stairs from the workers, she crossed the kitchen and walked right out the back door into the chilly, late September air and a back alley. She’d left her cardigan on the back of her chair.

 

She began walking quickly until she was back on the Main Street, letting herself become faceless among the crowd of people walking. She could suffer the chill if it meant avoiding him.  
He was supposed to go because he liked her, not because she was some oddity to stare at and then report back on. How long before rumors were swirling around about her. Ari Young, cursed girl and had never been on a date. Foolishly thought Peter Gibson might like her. Her cheeks burned with humiliation. She could hear people laughing at her already. Lost in her thoughts and half blinded by tears, she crashed into a solid object and went sailing to the ground. 

 

“Ari?”

 

“Sorry Charlie,” she said, brushing off a leaf that had fallen into his shoulder. “I wasn’t looking where I was going.”

 

He stood up, offering her a hand and pulling her up. “Don’t you have a date?” He asked, noticing that she was heading back up to the castle.

 

“It wasn’t what I was expecting,” she admitted. “He just wanted someone to laugh at.”

 

Charlie frowned. “Laugh at what?”

 

“Me,” she said miserably, staring down at her shoes as they walked.

 

He fell into step with her, glancing over. She looked so nice in her dress and he’d never seen so much of her skin at once. Straps criss-crossed all along her back, stopping short at her lower waist and the dress was cut at her mid-thigh. Her legs were encased in brown boots that somehow made her legs look longer than they were, her shoulders were exposed…and covered in goosebumps. He pulled his jacket off and draped it around her shoulders.

 

“You don’t have to do that,” she said, but shrugged her arms through it just the same.

 

“I’ve got a sweater on,” he said, showing her the dark blue sweater with a hand stitched ‘C’ on it. “Why do you think he wanted to laugh at you?” Charlie finally asked.

 

“He pretty much said so,” she told him. “He called me a curiosity.”

 

Charlie’s frowned deepened. “A curiosity? He said that?”

 

Ari nodded. Charlie stopped her. “You’re not a curiosity, Ari. You didn’t deserve that.”

 

She offered him a half smile. “Thanks Charlie.”

 

His mind was racing, both furious with Peter for having said that to Ari and for a way to cheer Ari up. It was clear that Hogsmeade was off the table but what about something inside Hogwarts? A light flipped on his head. He had an idea that, hopefully, would both cheer her up and make her forget all about Peter Gibson and everyone else who couldn’t see past her strange brother and her curse breaking obsession.  
“Want to do something?” He asked, hopeful.

 

“Like what?” She responded. It looked like she was resisting the urge to cry, which bummed him out. He took her hand.

 

“Come with me.”

 

*

 

Penny burst into The Three Broomsticks and dumped her bags in the booth next to Tonks. “Ari ditched Peter.”

 

“What?!” Andre choked on his butterbeer. “After all the effort I went to?!”

 

Barnaby patted him on the back.

 

“How much effort was it really?” Tulip asked, rolling her eyes. “Gibson would, and has, dated second years.”

 

“I feel like he’d date an inanimate object if it was distinctly female shaped,” Ben added, causing Tonks and Rowan to giggle into their drinks.

 

“Who told you this?” Andre asked suspiciously but Penny waved him off. If she was saying it, it was true. She never spread uninformed gossip.

 

“I looked all over the village for her,” Penny told them, tossing her braids impatiently over her shoulders, “but she was gone. I can’t prove this but someone swears they saw her and Charlie walking back to the castle together.”

 

“Merlin’s beard!” Tonks bounced in her seat, rubbing her hands together. “Get ready to pay up suckers! I had first Hogsmeade visit, sixth year!”

 

“Walking together doesn’t equal together, Tonks,” Tulip snapped.

 

“Pay up? What are you talking about?” Rowan asked. The table suddenly became uneasy. Tonks had accidentally blew their cover. No one had told her about their little bet because they were certain that she would tell Ari.

 

“Nothing,” Penny smiled, “So do you-“

 

“Do you guys have a bet on when Ari and Charlie will start dating?” Rowan interrupted, straightening her glasses on her face.

 

“No!” Tulip lied quickly.

 

“That’s absurd, she’s our friend!” Andre added.

 

“Yeah we definitely do,” Barnaby said, eliciting groans from everyone.

 

“I can’t believe you wouldn’t include me!” Rowan said with a twinge of outrage. 

 

“Well…we didn’t want you to tell her,” Ben told Rowan. 

“And your track record of keeping things from Ari is really bad,” Penny added.

 

Rowan fished in her pocket and pulled out two galleons, slamming them on the table.

 

“I want in. Who has what? Because I guarantee you’re all wrong.”

 

“I’ve got first Hogsmeade visit this year,” Tonks said.

 

“The winter ball this year,” Andre told her.

 

“End of the year, seventh year,” Penny said.

 

“End of the year but this year.” Was Tulips guess. Ben had decided on the end of the year ball for seventh years and Barnaby had picked “in a cursed vault” with nothing more specific than that.

 

“Okay, put me down for the summer before our seventh year,” Rowan decided.

 

“You can not tell her about this to even up your chances,” Tulip warned.

 

“Please. I can keep a secret or two from Ari.”

 

“You’re in.”

 

*  
He had taken her to the kitchen, where the house elves happily brought out sandwiches, and then out to the edge of the lake. Usually people would be loitering around but because it was a Hogsmeade day, no one was there but the two of them. She was smiling as Charlie talked about dragons and his plans to become a dragonologist when they graduated.

 

“What about you?”

 

“Me?” She smiled. “I don’t know? Curse breaking feels really obvious..but also kind of right. It combines all of my favorite things.”

 

“What’s that?”

 

“Dueling and unraveling mysteries duh.”

 

“And my brother,” he added, immediately annoying himself. Why bring Bill up at all when things were going so well?

 

“Yeah, and Bill. I imagine we’ll develop a healthy rivalry,” she mused, looking out at the glass-still water of the lake. “But of course I’ll always be a little better.”

 

“Naturally,” Charlie agreed, relaxing.

 

“Honestly, your plans sound so much more amazing. You’ll have your own dragon sanctuary in like, five years.”

 

His eyes lit up again. “I hope so.”

 

Of course, in his fantasies about life after Hogwarts, she was also there. Sometimes she was helping him run it but more often she was doing her own thing while he did his, but she came home every night to be with him. That was the ending he preferred, because he knew dragons would never make her as happy as they made him. He wondered what her fantasies looked like, and if he ever featured in them.

 

Would he be happy if all she ever wanted was to be friends? It was something he’d thought about a lot since they’d gotten back, especially after hearing she was going on a date. He was decided though. Being friends with her was preferable to not being around her at all. He could swallow his feelings if it meant being in her life in some capacity.

 

 

Ari tried to hand Charlie back his jacket when they walked back into the castle. She didn’t want to part ways but he had mentioned getting a jump start on some homework and it was probably better if the whole castle didn’t seem them laughing it up down by the lake after what happened with Peter.

 

“Nah, keep it,” he said, which confused her.

 

“Won’t you need a jacket?” She asked, trying to hand it to him again. She caught his eyes drift from her face down to her shoulders before shooting back up again. Moments like that made her sure that he liked her. Sometimes it seemed like he was being too careful for someone who was just her friend.

 

“I’ve got other jackets.”

 

“Seriously, take your jacket,” she shoved it into his arms. “I don’t need it, I’ll be fine.”  
He took it from her with what felt like reluctance. She was reading too much into their interactions. She needed to relax and take a deep breath. Charlie was always rescuing her and he was cute and funny and honestly what wasn’t there to like about him? She was going off on a tangent. She shook her head.

 

“I’ll see you at dinner?”

 

“You will.”

 

*

 

Despite the disaster of a morning, the rest of the day had turned out pretty well. Ari was sitting next to Rowan, across from Penny and Tonks at dinner which gave her a perfect view of Charlie and Ben. They were making eye contact and then looking away, which was so first year but she couldn’t stop herself. Penny and Tonks were charitably pretending they didn’t notice as Penny went through all of the newest gossip from most to least interesting.

 

“So then Deb told Jackie that Jennifer told her that Roger just started screaming which of course is completely believable if you remember his meltdown two years ago on the Quidditch pitch when he lost- rather brutally, I might add- to the Gryffindor Quidditch team, but of course everyone wants to just pretend that was a one off. And I told Deb that no one should be shocked that Roger would lose it like that-“

 

“Ariadne!” Peter Gibson strode into the great hall, Ari’s cardigan draped over his arm. Her stomach dropped to the floor. She hadn’t anticipated a public confrontation. Penny and Tonks twisted around to see who had shouted and when they saw it was Peter they turned around.

 

“How pathetic is this going to be?” Penny asked as she rolled her eyes.

 

When Peter reached their table he threw Ari’s cardigan at her with force, though because it was a soft piece of clothing it didn’t do anything but add to her humiliation. Behind him, she saw Charlie and Ben jump out of the seats, wands raised. She wanted to sink into the floor.

 

“Oooh, what did Young do this time?” She heard Merula shout from behind her.

 

“Shut up, Merula,” Barnaby’s voice answered fiercely.

 

“If you didn’t want to spend time with me, you could have just said so,” Peter spat. “Not that anyone would expect better from Jacob Young’s sister. He was an animal too.”

 

Tonks was on her feet so fast she knocked her goblet over. Next to her, Rowan had whipped her wand out and was pointing it directly at him. Ari was frozen, her eyes locked with Peter’s.

 

“You’re not cute enough for this kind of shit,” he added. She heard a plate fall to the floor behind her followed by Andres voice: “Tulip sit down.”

 

“I just want to offer a rebuttal,” Tulip’s voice snarled.

 

“In fact,” Peter didn’t seem to notice the wands pointed at him or the fact that the hall was now completely silent. “You’re just a common bitch.” He turned around and strode out, his face triumphant. Ari’s own face was burning as she watched her friends sit back down. She avoided looking at Charlie and instead looked at her own plate, which seemed completely unappetizing.

 

“Well!” Penny said as the noise around them picked back up. “He’s completely undatable now. I’m going to personally make sure of it.”

 

“I don’t understand why he’s so mad,” Ari said miserably. “He practically said he was only there because I was so weird.”

 

“He said what?!” Penny’s face was livid.

 

“Scoot over,” Tulip instructed a nervous second year next to Ari before squeezing him in. “How are we getting him back?”

 

“Dung bombs in his dorm for the rest of the year?” Tonks suggested.

 

Ari shook her head. “No, leave him alone. It’ll just give everyone else a reason to talk about how strange and awful I am.”

 

“You’re right,” Tulip said quickly. “If you’ll excuse me…”

 

She squeezed right back out and took off running.

 

*

 

“Hey wait up,” Tulip called after Ben and Charlie.

 

“This isn’t about you Tulip,” Ben snapped, taking a sharp right towards a staircase.

 

“This is Gryffindor business.”

 

“Like hell it is,” Tulip responded. “This is Ari business which is my business.” Tulip was feeling extra angry and protective, as Ari was the first real friend she’d ever really had. Without Ari she wouldn’t have any of the good things she had now: Penny, a group of friends that genuinely loved her, a feeling like she belonged. Before Ari she’d been friends with Merula, who was no friend at all. Merula made her feel stupid and useless unless Tulip had something to offer Merula. Ari, and by extension the people she surrounded herself with, never asked anything from Tulip other than just her friendship. 

 

“How DARE he say those things!” Ben exploded. “No honor! No decency!”  
Next to him, Charlie’s face was as bright red. Tulip ran ahead of them, forcing them to a stop.

 

“If you go in there and jinx him to oblivion you’re gonna get a lot of detention,” she said, hands raised.

 

“Good,” Ben said uncharacteristically. “What he did was cowardly.”

 

“Right, but think this through. There are ways to punish him that would be subtle.”

 

“I don’t need tricks, Tulip,” Charlie said through gritted teeth. Ben and Charlie walked past her, leaving her standing, watching them.

 

“What about your prefect badge?!” She shouted at Charlie. He paused for a moment and then unpinned it and slipped it into his pocket.

 

“What badge?” He said over his shoulder, continuing up with Ben.

 

“Ughhhh,” Tulip groaned, turning back around. Tonks was not going to be any help since she shared a house with Ari and would be forced to help run interference. She paused for a second, considering her other options. Andre or Barnaby.  
Her musings were interrupted by Barnaby and Rowan walking out of the Great Hall together. She’d take that combination.  
“Where are you guys going?”

 

“Outside,” Barnaby said mildly.

 

“Together?” Tulip said, annoyed no one would let her help get a little mischievous revenge.

 

“Just…fresh air.”

 

“Cut the shit. What are you guys doing.”

 

“We’re making a minor adjustment to Gibson’s quidditch uniform.”

 

“Oh perfect. I want in.”

 

*

 

Charlie, with Ben at his side, climbed into the portrait hole and strode into the common room where Peter was lounging, talking to a fourth year. So much for being broken up over Ari, Charlie thought, his anger boiling over. This wasn’t about hurt feelings so much as hurt pride. Charlie had been watching Peter date voraciously since he got here, and discard them when he was bored. What girl would have ever dared to do to him what he just did to Ari?

 

“You’re a coward,” Ben declared. “You could have talked to her alone.” Charlie thought it was out of character for Ben to confront anyone, let alone someone as popular and powerful as Peter. But then, Ari had always stood by him, even in his less honorable moments. Maybe Ben felt he owed her?

 

“Why? You can’t talk to someone like her rationally. For years she’s been unleashing curses on this school and for what? Her strange brother? Someone needed to put her in her place.”

 

“And that someone was you?” Ben asked, incredulously.

“You didn’t think you were good enough for her, did you?” Charlie scoffed. “What about you could possibly interest the curse breaker?” He gestured up and down at Peter, in an attempt to wound his ego. Peter sat up, his face losing it’s easy, unaffected look.

 

“Trust me, we are all too good for her, including you, chum. You could have any girl in this place, why even waste your time? Trust me, I sat in front of her day and she was a complete bore.”

Charlie and Ben looked at each other and before another word could be said, Charlie tossed his wand to the side and punched Peter in the face. And then again. Peter attempted to swing back but was no match for Charlies rage. He didn’t know what had come over him. He’d planned on giving Peter an ugly face with a hex. All the anger he’d felt ever since he’d found out Peter would be taking out Ari was coming out of his hands. It felt good to unleash it, just for a moment. In his periphery, he could see his brothers watching but it wasn’t enough to make him stop.  

“WHOA WEASLEY!” Someone shouted, pulling him off. Another pair of hands grabbed his other arms. He couldn’t help it, he laughed, seeing Peter’s face already starting to swell and bruise. What good was his handsome face now?

 

“I’ll have your badge!” Peter shouted, wiping blood from his lip.

 

Charlie tried to lunge again but his arms were pinned behind his back. Peter made a move to strike Charlie, but Ben stood in front of his friend.

 

“Like I said,” Ben spat at Peter. “You’re a coward.”

 

*

 

Barnaby was on the Slytherin Qudditch team, the best keeper they’d had in years. He knew the locker rooms in and out. Getting into Gryffindor’s was easy, especially when he had Rowan to practically blast the door off it’s hinges. They found Peter’s locker with little effort.

 

“What are you going to do to it?”

 

“Just a little distracting techno-rainbow,” Rowan muttered, whispering a charm. “It’ll light up like Christmas morning the moment he gets into the air so try and keep that in mind because I think you guys are playing him next.”  
Barnaby slammed the door shut with gusto.

 

“Wait!” Tulip shouted, opening the door again. She tossed a couple dung bombs inside. “For good measure. I want to make him completely undatable.”

 

“You and Penny both,” Rowan commented dryly. Tulip smiled, pleased at how in sync her and Penny constantly were.

 

“If Penny says he’s gross, no girl will risk dating him,” Barnaby said as they hurried out. “She’s scary in how much sway she has over everyone’s opinion.”

 

“Yeah, I think you mean she’s a genius?” Tulip said. Rowan and Barnaby both nodded.

 

“Do you think we’ve done enough?” Rowan asked, chewing on her lip nervously.

 

“No,” Tulip and Barnaby said in unison.

 

“Charlie and Ben were going to confront him, though,” Tulip added.

 

“And Tonks will definitely do something,” Barnaby reminded her.

 

*

 

Ari woke up late Sunday morning, dreading the walk down to the Great Hall. Rowan was waiting for her, all dressed and reading in bed.

 

“How are you feeling?” She asked as Ari fumbled around her trunk for something to wear.

 

“Fine,” Ari responded, trying to sound bright but failing. Her anxiety was at an all time high. She’d rather be trying to explain her actions in the forbidden forest again to Dumbledore over what was waiting for her in the Great Hall. She pulled out a black pleated skirt and bright yellow shirt and put them on as slowly as humanly possible. Though Rowan was staring at her book, she was obviously becoming frustrated. Ari noted that she hadn’t turned a page in at least five minutes, a record for the speed reading Rowan.

 

“Ari!” Rowan finally exploded as Ari was meticulously rolling her socks up to her knees. “Dragging it out isn’t going to make it go away, lets just go face everyone.”

 

“Fine,” grumbled Ari, running a brush through her hair. She caught a glimpse of herself in the mirror. She didn’t look great, but it would have to do. It’s not like anyone was impressed with her anyway.

 

In the common room, Penny and Tonks were waiting with Tulip, who treated the Hufflepuff common room as if it were an extension of Ravenclaw’s. “Finally,” Penny said when she saw them. Rowan shot her a look.

 

“Just…I’m so hungry, not…anything else.” Penny quickly muttered.

 

“Let’s just get this over with,” Ari muttered, letting her friends guide her out. Like her own personal body guards, her friends surrounded her as they walked down to the Great Hall. Penny lead like she was the headmaster herself, head held high and looking down at anyone who might dare cross her. Next to her was a scowling Tulip, daring someone to say something. Ari could see Tulips fingers occasionally twitch towards the wand that was hanging out of her pocket.

 

They sat at the Hufflepuff table, half empty by this point which offered a small amount of relief. She watched her friends begin pile food on their plates like this was a normal morning.

 

“Oh man,” Ben joined them, sitting directly across from Ari. “McGonagall was furious. I just escaped.”

 

Ari poured juice, noticing Charlie silently chewing across from her. He was staring at his plate intently, his prefect badge attached to his chest so prominently she wondered if he’d done it intentionally.

 

“What happened?” Rowan asked.

 

“You didn’t hear?” Penny asked, eye glinting. “Charlie and Ben jumped Peter last night.”

 

“We didn’t jump him…so much as Charlie totally kicked the shit out of him while I kept people off him for as long as possible.”

 

“You did what?!” Ari demanded, fork clattering on her plate. Ben and Penny rolled their eyes at the same time.

 

“What’s the punishment?” Tonks asked, eyes alight.

 

“Detention and a letter to our parents. Gibson was demanding Charlie’s prefect badge, as if McGonagall was ever going to really punish her best Quidditch player and favorite student. She was practically crying, telling Charlie he had detention. She begged him to consider the team at least eighteen times.”

 

“What did he say?” Rowan asked.

 

“Nothing. He sat there and said absolutely nothing. He was still pretty mad about everything.”

 

Ari watched Charlie get up from the table and walk out purposefully. She excused herself, planning to chase him down, but Merula stopped her halfway out.

 

“Quite the embarrassment you were yesterday, Young,” she said in a sing song voice.

 

“Get bent, Merula,” Ari snarled, her attention focused on Merula.

 

“It was actually really nice seeing you get what you deserve yesterday,” Merula responded mockingly. “I hope it’s the start of a new trend.”

 

Ari whipped her wand out. “It’s been a long time since I kicked your ass but I would be so happy to do it again.” Merula had never been able to best Ari in a duel, despite constantly challenging her in one. Merula pulled her own wand out, eyes filled with hate when Snape strolled up.

 

“What is going on here,” he drawled, sounding more bored than anything.

 

“A dueling club!” Barnaby appeared out of nowhere, wand also out. “Ari and I were trying to recruit Merula here to our dueling club! Merula really is hopeless when it comes to dueling and-“  
Snape raised his hand, cutting Barnaby off. “You need faculty permission to start a new club.”

 

“I’m…on my way to ask McGonagall right now,” Ari bluffed, lowering her wand. Merula looked furious, her attempt to get Ari in trouble thwarted by Barnaby’s quick thinking.

 

“Off you go,” Snape motioned for her to leave. With a quick dirty look at Merula, Ari took off with Barnaby at her side.

 

“Dueling club?” She said once they were out of earshot.

 

“Charlie mentioned you were interested in starting one. I love dueling, and I’ve been meaning to ask you about it. I want to help.”

She vaguely remembered that conversation from their first week back. “I did say that.”

 

“Also I like watching Merula eat her own feet in front of Snape.”

 

“Do you think McGonagall will let us start a dueling club?” She asked as they made their way up to McGonagall’s office.

 

He shrugged. “Maybe? If she thinks we’re trying to channel our energy into something productive she might.”

 

Ari couldn’t argue with that, though when she had proposed the idea it had been half baked at best. She wasn’t certain she was the best qualified to teach other people to duel.

 

McGonagall disagreed after listening to Barnaby pitch it. “I think this is a wonderful idea, Ms. Young. You certainly are talented with a wand.”

 

“Really?” Ari said incredulously.

 

 

“Don’t act so surprised. Of course you’ll need someone to supervise, and I am happy to do it but you might also want to consider Professor Sprout as well, when I am unable.”

 

“Really? Professor Sprout?”

 

“And Snape, of course. He loves the Dark Arts.”

 

“I’ll ask Snape!” Barnaby said. That was for the best, Ari thought. Snape might be more willing to supervise if the request was coming from one of his own students. There was no love lost between the pair of them.

 

“Excellent. It’s nice to see the two of you working together towards something constructive. I hope to see more of it.”

 

“We’ll do our best,” Ari said with little enthusiasm.

 

“I am certain you will.”


	5. Wide Awake

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> If you’ve left kudos on this story or a review, please know that I love you and consider you my new best friend.

  _Sometimes it’s over before we can doubt it_

_Turns to dust and then it’s gone_

_Saturate enough to be blinded, these colors don’t belong_

_I’ve been falling in my dreams but now I’m wide awake watching it all die down_

_If dreams aren’t really what they seem then why am I wide awake watching it all?_

 

 

Peters face provided everyone with more than enough gossip for the entire day. Rumors circulated on what had happened.

“It was probably Ari,” a second year Ravenclaw speculated.

“No way, I think it was Barnaby. I saw them scoping rooms out earlier today. It’s so obvious they’re together,” her friend said.

“It was probably just Tulip. I know her and punching a boy is definitely the sort of thing she would do.”  
“I heard it was Charlie Weasley. Mary said she saw the entire thing, she said it took three people to pull him off.”

“UGH excuse me, if you don’t mind,” Penny shoved through the gossiping second years, making her way towards a waiting Tulip. “All these gossiping Greta’s are driving me crazy!” She declared, shooting the girls withering looks.

“That’s a bit ironic, coming from you,” Tulip commented sardonically.

“Shut up,” Penny said with no real malice. “I just feel so bad for Ari.”

“Well, you shouldn’t. Peter is getting so much heat for what he said.”

“Still, it doesn’t make up for embarrassing her that way. You didn’t see her face. She looked like she wanted to die, and like. I saw her take down boggarts that looked like you-know-who last year without flinching once.”

The two of them jogged down the stairs towards Jacob’s old hideout.  
“Yeah I remember. Her problem is that she has zero experience with boys and didn’t give Andre clear enough instructions when she said to set her up.”

“Shouldn’t Andre have realized that Peter was a poor choice, though?” Penny asked, unlocking the door.

“You know how boys are.”

“Yeah, but still. Andre is her friend.”

“Well, in Andre’s defense, he didn’t make him go just for a laugh. He probably thought they’d have a good, care-free time.”

“I guess so. I just..”

“Don’t want to blame Ari for what happened?”

“Exactly.”

Tulip exhaled. “Yeah, me either. Ari’s trying too hard to forget what happened last year.”

Penny nodded, picking up the same pieces of papers they’d sifted through a hundred times. “She’s trying too hard in general. She is not this girl she’s trying to be and it’s backfiring on her. She needs to get back to basics.”

“Speaking of, look at this,” Tulip said, shoving a piece of paper in front of Penny’s face.

“What am I looking at here?” Penny squinted. “Looks like trees to me.” The piece of parchment was faded, with trees everywhere in a strange pattern. It looked like an absent, bored doodle. Tulip pulled it away from Penny’s face so she could look at it from a distance.

“It looks…almost like…” She gasped. “A dark mark.”

“That’s what I thought!” Tulip said.

“Ari never said anything about her brother being…” Penny trailed off, unable to even finish the thought. The idea that Ari’s brother could have been a death eater seemed ridiculous.

“What does Ari really know about him?” Tulip countered. “Nothing. We never considered that he was in to anything…evil…because Ari never did.”

“Ari is the furthest thing from evil. There’s…you-know-who…then there are…cupcakes, and then there is Ari.”

“We have to tell her,” Tulip said, folding the paper up. Penny grabbed her arm.

“No. We should definitely NOT tell her anything. At least show Rowan first.”

“Rowan is not objective.”

“Rowan is honest,” Penny said firmly. “If there is a dark mark here, Rowan won’t lie if she see’s it.”

“It would mean telling her what we’ve been doing,” Tulip warned.

“Fine. This is too big not to tell just because we’re afraid of people finding out.”

Tulip’s eyebrows raised into her hairline. “Really? REALLY?” Penny’s heart began to race. It was an old argument, one that she did not want to have right now.

Penny exhaled noisily. “Can we not do this right now?”

Tulip put her hands on her hips. “Yeah, actually I think now is perfect. YOU told ME you loved ME, remember? Not the other way around. And yet it’s this big, ugly secret I’m forced to keep from everyone! Even our friends can’t know. You’re so worried about your pristine reputation-“

“It’s not that I’m ashamed of you!” Penny cried, a tear sliding down her cheek. “I’m just…afraid. I’m afraid of what people will say about me…how they’ll judge me for…not being straight.” Tulip wasn’t afraid of what people said about her, Penny wasn’t like that. It had been fine over the summer. Tulip had said she’d understood, but ever since they’d gotten back it had been the thorn in their relationship. Why can’t Penny just get a grip, Penny imagined Tulip thinking. Penny was terrified Tulip would break up with her over it, but she couldn’t just wake up and be a different person. She cared about what people thought and she always had. Without her reputation, who was she?

Tulip’s anger vanished, like it always did at the sight of Penny’s tears. “Who cares what they say,” Tulip murmured, gathering Penny up into her arms.

“I know, I know,” Penny cried into Tulip’s chest. “I’m trying so hard. Even my parents-“

“Our friends will still love us, no matter who we love, and everyone else can eat dirt.” Penny wanted to have the same conviction that Tulip did when it came to friends, but she couldn’t. For Tulip it was intensely personal, but Penny saw how often people were willing to sell their friends out for information or just their own personal amusement. Would their own friends be any better?

Penny wiped her eyes and kissed Tulip. “We’ll go to the dance together, completely out. I promise. Just…let me tell everyone else in my own time, before that.”

Tulip nodded, kissing her back. “Anything for you.”

 

*

 

“It feels wrong not to be supporting Charlie today,” Tonks complained. “And even wronger supporting Slytherin.”

“Barnaby is our friend, too,” Ari reminded Tonks as she adjusted the green and silver scarf she’d stolen from Barnaby weeks ago. “Besides, I’ve still got my lion hat.” Ari was a sight, in jeans and a black scoop neck t-shirt, a Slytherin colored scarf around her neck and a giant, lion shaped hat on her head. The four Hufflepuffs had agreed they would not support Gryffindor when Peter Gibson was still one of their chasers. Ari was the only one who ever really dressed up, but Penny and Rowan had painted little green snakes on their cheeks as a sign of solidarity. Tonks had flat out refused, saying she’d support Slytherin when she died and not a moment before.

They met Tulip and Ben in the stands. Ben mock gagged when he saw their get up. “You don’t deserve to wear that hat,” he said, snatching it off her head and jamming it on his own.

“Hey! I still support Charlie!”

“You have to support all of us, or none of us!” Ben declared.

“Slytherin doesn’t stand a chance,” Tulip commented. “Even with Barnaby. Their team is hopeless.”

“It doesn’t hurt that Gryffindor has got the best Quidditch player in the school…and maybe ever,” Tonks said, peering down onto the pitch.

“That’s the spirit!” Ben cheered.

Rowan, to her credit, was practically bouncing in her seat when the teams wooshed out. Their voices were drowned out by a sea of cheers followed by raucous laughter as Peter Gibsons jersey began lighting up like it was at a rave. The back of his jersey had changed from his name to GIT, and was flashing from neon green to pink over and over like a giant sign.

“Did you do that?” Penny asked Tonks, incredulous.

“I wish!” Tonks laughed. “What a genius!”

Ari caught Tulip grin at Rowan, but chose not to say anything. Peter was so distracted by his shirt that he had allowed Slytherin to take the quaffle, scoring twice. The entire Gryffindor team was screaming at him from their positions, although the wind made it impossible to hear what they’re saying.

Ben hid his face in his hands. “This is a disaster!” He cried, watching Slytherin score again.

“I feel so bad, it’s Charlies first game as captain!” Ari cried, watching Charlie distractedly trying to deal with Peter’s shirt. “But even I have to admit, this is hilarious.”

Peter did get his head in the game, although he had no success scoring against Barnaby, who appeared to be taunting him every time he got close. Charlie ended the game quickly, winning it completely despite the lead Slytherin had taken in the beginning. Charlie had proven he was unbeatable, his broom skills completely unmatched. Barnaby looked furious as he flew down, storming off as Gryffindor red and gold took the field.

“Party in Gryffindor common room tonight, by the looks of it,” Tonks commented, a huge smile plastered across her face.

“Good for them.”

 

 

*

 

“Hey, Rowan, come here.” Tulip pulled Rowan aside as she entered the Great Hall later that night for dinner. Next to her, Penny was fidgeting nervously with her hair.

“Is this about Gibson’s jersey? No one is going to find out-“ She couldn’t believe she’d let Barnaby talk her into that. No, she chastised herself. She had talked Barnaby into it. Well, more like she had walked out at the same time Barnaby had, and they’d just agreed to do it. It was no one person idea, except that she’d suggested it AND placed the jinx on his jersey. Since then, she’d been terrified a teacher would find out and punish her.

“No, I need you to look at something, okay?” Tulip unfolded the piece of parchment they’d found in Jacobs room and handed it to Rowan.

“Have you been snooping behind Ari’s back?” Rowan asked, outraged. They’d all agreed to let it go. Rowan knew Ari would come around. There was no reason to go behind her back. How could Penny do that? It was definitely in character for Tulip.

“Rowan, of course we have and honestly you should one hundred percent expect that from us but that’s not the issue. LOOK at the parchment.”

“I can’t believe you!” Rowan continued. “She told us not to!”

“She’s not the boss of us!” Penny snapped.

“She is when-“

“Just look at it Rowan,” Tulip said, exasperated. Rowan snatched it from Tulips hands and looked it over.

“It’s just trees…” she pulled it closer to her face. “It’s a dark mark. Oh my God it’s a a dark mark!” Rowan’s stomach felt like a million knotted up snakes. It was a dark mark, doodled with trees.

She looked up at the two of them horrified. “We have to show Ari, we have to-“

Tulip ripped the paper from her hand as Penny shushed her.  
“We will. But not today. Okay? It’s been a rough couple days for Ari, let things settle, help us poke through his stuff a little more in the meantime just in case there is something that explains this,” Tulip reassured Rowan.

Rowan nodded. “But we will tell her.” Ari would be able to explain this. She was unwilling to believe that Jacob had gotten into anything evil. It was just a quirky misunderstanding…his doodle…of a symbol that spelled death for so many people…

“Really, really soon.”

 

 

*

 

She was lurking by the Gryffindor common room, trying to decide if she wanted to go in and see him or not. On the one hand, she definitely wanted to congratulate Charlie but on the other, he had assaulted one of his teammates for her and she might not be very welcome.

On second thought, she decided, better just let him celebrate without having to worry about her. She turned to leave when the portrait opened. As was if she could summon him with her thoughts. He had a bright smile on his face that froze her to her spot. He looked impossibly handsome.

The portrait closed behind him and they locked eyes. “Ari?”

“I, uh…came to congratulate you,” she said quickly. “Congratulations!”

“I was coming to see you, actually. Did you enchant Peter’s jersey?” His smile was still plastered on his face as he made his way over to her.

“No, I swear. I didn’t do anything to him…which I guess is more than you can say.”

He didn’t stop smiling but he did rub the back of his head like he was embarrassed about it. “He shouldn’t have said that about you,” Charlie admitted. Ari nodded.

“I wanted to talk to you about it the other day but you seemed…”

“Pissed?” Charlie supplied helpfully as they began a slow walk down the stairs.

“Yeah,” she nodded, bumping his shoulder with hers. “Have I said I’m sorry?”

“For what?”

“Going on a date with him in the first place? I’m starting to think I just don’t get to be ‘normal’.” She sighed with disappointment. She had wanted to believe so bad that this would work out for her, that she could just will normalcy into the universe and the universe would accept it without question.

“I don’t know why you ever wanted to be,” Charlie said with more feeling than he meant. She looked up at him with huge, sea foam green eyes and his heart stuttered. “I just…I mean, you were great before.”

“Thanks Charlie,” she smiled, looking down at her feet. “What were you doing, anyway?”  
He was half tempted to tell her he was going to see her, because it couldn’t be a perfect night if she wasn’t in it, but couldn’t do it. He knew eventually he’d have to tell her and let the chips fall where they may, but it wasn’t tonight.

“Oh, I was going to the kitchen for more snacks,” he lied smoothly.

“Well I won’t keep the Gryffindor masses waiting any longer,” she smiled, although she was disappointed. “You played really well.”

He watched her walk off towards her own common room, his heart so full it might explode. She watched him play, she thought he was good, she had come looking for him. Maybe there was hope for him yet.

 

*

 

“HALLOWEEN HALLOWEEN ITS HALLOWEEN!” Tonks screamed, jumping from bed to bed.

“Tonks I don’t mean to sound aggressive, but I will literally kill you if you don’t stop jumping,” Penny said, throwing a pillow at Tonks.

“You guys have been asleep for EVER,” Tonks complained, jumping back onto her own bed. Celebrating Halloween was kind of her thing, and they all knew it. They’d been sharing a dorm together for six years, after all.

“It’s six am, Tonks. On a Saturday.” Rowan buried her face in her pillow. Ari didn’t bother to open her eyes at all. Halloween was Tonks favorite holiday. Every year she blew up Filch’s office, despite the increased security he placed around it every year.

“I have to get started, I’m so excited. This year is gonna be a BLAST if you know what I mean.” Tonks said, giddy with excitement.

“Subtle,” Ari called after her. The three dragged themselves out of bed three hours later and dressed themselves. Ari had the perfect sweater for the occasion.

“Where did you find that?” Penny demanded, looking at Ari’s bright yellow HUFFLEPUFF sweater, complete with the house crest on it. She was wearing it with a much shorter yellow and black plaid skirt than she usually did and her usual knee high socks and regular black shoes.

“I will never tell, but do you like it?”

“I love it,” Rowan declared, linking arms with Ari as they made their way to the Great Hall.

“I’ve been saving it all year, specifically for today.”

“No one can ever say you aren’t well dressed,” Rowan complemented.

“I think a lot of people could say that,” replied Tulip, appearing from nowhere. The four of them sat at their usual spot at the Hufflepuff table, losing themselves in the noise.

“Nice sweater, Young!” Merula called across the hall, flicking bacon in Ari’s direction. “You look garish! Perfect for this nightmare holiday.”

Ari made mocking noises back at Merula, ignoring her usual taunts in an attempt to enjoy her breakfast. She was also making faces over at Charlie and Ben every time Merula made a comment, which was making them laugh.  
She was in a good mood when she walked out and was even considering tracking down Tonks to see if she wanted any help when Merula and her greasy sidekick Ismelda stopped her.

“I haven’t forgotten our duel, Young.”

“Really? Because you should have, you are not good,” Ari said lightly, attempting to bounce past the paid. Ismelda was smiling, a twisted sight on her normal scowling face.

“I’m going to pay you back!” Merula shouted even though Ari was a foot away.

“Right, I’m sure you’re gonna show me.” Ari shot back sarcastically.

“We’re going to kill you,” Ismelda said with a giggle. Ismelda was constantly promising to murder someone so Ari was unimpressed with the threat.

“Give it your best shot and hope you don’t botch it,” Ari smiled back. “Because I can take you both with one hand tied behind my back.”

She sauntered out, proud of her comeback and certain that whatever Merula and Ismelda were planning could not touch her.

 

*

 

Tulip watched as Tonks transformed herself into Professor Snape in order to lure Filch out of his office so Tulip could plant the fireworks Tonks had been stockpiling all year. It was disconcerting to see the pink haired girl become the angry, gaunt potion master she was so familiar with.

“Nope, not falling for it,” Filch declared the second he opened his door and was greeted by the sight of Snape.

“I have no interest in what you are or are not falling for. A student is sitting in my office with a cache of fireworks-“

 

“You caught her?!” Filch jumped up, taking the bait easily, despite having been fooled this exact way for three years straight.

“If you would care to confiscate the contraband,” Tonks-Snape said lazily, indicating that Filch should follow. Filch did, racing ahead of Snape. Tonks turned and winked in Tulips direction which was disconcerting.

“That’ll give me nightmares for the rest of my life,” Tulip muttered as she began stashing fireworks all over his office. She made sure to place them where they would have the most devastating effects: under his desk, in his drawers, and around the door.

She was about to light them when Tonks came running back, drowning in Slytherin robes. “Oh good, just in time. Quick,” she said, breathing the spell for fire, and lit them quickly.

“Now we run,” Tonks said giddily, grabbing Tulips hand and taking off in the opposite direction.

 

*

A loud explosion rocked the castle. Barnaby walked straight into Rowan, knocking her to the ground.

“Rowan!” He exclaimed, extracting her elbow from his rib. Another explosion caused her to jump and out of instinct he grabbed her, pulling her close to his chest.

“It’s just Tonks,” Rowan said, but another loud explosion kept her glued to his body. She had never been this close to Barnaby- or any boy, for that matter, and it made her feel strange. Did all boys smell as nice as Barnaby did? He had an earthy smell, like he was on a yearlong camping trip all the time.

“I know,” Barnaby responded, flinching at the sound of another explosion. They were alone in this corridor which he was grateful for. He didn’t need anyone to see him cowering. He was also surprised at how nice it felt to be holding Rowan this way. He liked her, of course, as a friend, but he’d never thought of her outside of someone who was so incredibly smart she was completely out of his intellectual league. He inhaled softly, smelling her hair. The scent was soft, maybe lavender?  
She jumped again, and then they both covered their heads as a series of quick blasts rocked around them.

He could smell the smoke from Tonk’s fireworks. They waited a beat, just in case anymore might go off, but it was eerily silent.

“It’s my least favorite prank,” Rowan complained, lifting her head from under her arms.

“It feels like you’re in the middle of a war,” Barnaby agreed, still holding her tightly. She didn’t move, so he didn’t either. He didn’t want to let her go, he realized.

She cleared her throat. “I, uh…need to get to the library.” He released his grip reluctantly.

“Sorry.”

“No, don’t be,” she responded awkwardly. They both stood, looking everywhere but at each other. “Thanks.”

“What are friends for?” Barnaby asked, a little louder than he meant. She smiled, but it didn’t quite reach her eyes, and then took off. He watched her, a little disappointed, before running a hand through chestnut brown hair. What was wrong with him?

 

*

 

“Are you in trouble?” Penny asked Tonks at dinner.

Tonks smiled. “So much trouble. Detention for a full two months.”

“That’s it?” Rowan asked in disbelief.

“What do you mean, ‘that’s it?’ Dumbledore PROMISED to call my mum, too.”

They all cringed, hearing that. Having to face their parents was every single one of their worst punishments.

Ari took a drink of her juice. “Does this taste odd?” She asked, taking another sip.

“If it tastes weird why are you still drinking it?” Penny asked, looking at her like she was crazy.

“Didn’t Ismelda literally threaten to kill you earlier?” Rowan asked.

Ari rolled her eyes. “She’s always threatening to kill me. She’s not going to poison me right under Dumbledore’s nose.”  
“Ismelda doesn’t have the brains to whip together a poison,” Penny added. “Your taste buds are probably compromised from all the acrid smoke in the air.”

“Sorry,” Tonks said sheepishly.

The Halloween feast was it’s usual perfection. Tulip, Barnaby, Ben, Andre, and Charlie migrated over once dinner was finished and the candy came out and the group had a good time gorging themselves on pasties and candy. Barnaby had them in stitches over his reaction to Tonks fireworks (“I cowered like an actual baby.”) while Tulip recounted how Tonks had managed to fool Filch yet again with her Snape impression (“It’s like he WANTS me to blow his office up!” Tonks cried).

“There is always candy in the Hufflepuff common room,” Rowan had suggested as the feast was winding down. “We should continue this there, no one will mind as long as we aren’t too loud.”

They were all agreeing, Ari included, when she stopped. Down the corridor, right at the end, was a boy she knew. Tall, curly dark hair, sea foam green eyes. Jacob. They were staring right at each other, and then he turned, and started walking.

“Wait!” She shouted, pushing past her friends and running after him as fast as she could. As a group, her friends all spun to see what she was running after.

“Who is she talking to?” Andre asked, watching the small ginger sprint away.

“Maybe she saw a ghost?” Tonks suggested. “It is Halloween, after all.”

Barnaby and Charlie began jogging after her, curious to see what she might be after, Tulip and Rowan at their heels.

“We’ll meet you in the common room!” Penny shouted after them.

 

Jacob was just always out of reach. No matter how fast she ran, he was always just a little faster. It had been like that when they were kids, too. He had been so much older than her but she always tried to catch him.

“Why won’t you stop?” She pleaded, looking up at the spiraling staircase that lead to the astronomy tower. Behind her, Barnaby and Charlie had managed to catch her.

“Why are you running?” Barnaby asked, breathing heavy. She indicated above them, where Jacob was standing, clear as day.

“My brother,” she say helplessly.

“Your- what?” Charlie and Barnaby both looked up but saw nothing but empty stairs.

“I have to catch him,” she said, beginning her run again.

“What? No Ari, there is no one there!” Charlie called after her. No one there? Jacob was right there, a flight ahead of her. How could Charlie not see that.

“Ari stop!” Barnaby shouted, his steps loud on the stairs behind her.

“Stop her!” Charlie said, fumbling for his own wand.

“Stupe-“ Barnaby started but Ari was too quick. She promised herself she’d work with him to stun without words, but for now she was grateful for the advantage. Without a word she paused and whipped her own wand up, shielding herself from his spell. Another quick whip sent both Charlie and Barnaby flying backwards. She wasn’t going to let them stop her from talking to her brother.

“Bad plan,” Charlie groaned, his body bruised from falling down four flights of stairs.

“What is happening?” Rowan asked, having just caught up with the pair.

“Ari thinks she sees Jacob,” Barnaby gasped.

“She said her juice tasted weird at dinner tonight…” Rowan suddenly said, looking horrified.

“And Ismelda threatened to kill her,” Barnaby added. Charlie jumped up, grateful for the years of intense Quidditch practice that made running up stairs more manageable. Ari still had a massive head start on him, and was walking right out into the open air of the castle rooftop. Imelda might not have the brains but Merula certainly could put together a hallucination potion. They weren’t hard to make, and one hair of Ari’s would make her see what she wanted to see.

 

  
There he was, clear as day, standing under the moonlight. “Ariadne…”he whispered, stepping backwards, hand out, beckoning her to join him.

“Jacob!” She shouted back. “Where have you been!” She was crying, she realized. She hadn’t even noticed she’d started. The air around her whipped against her face. “I’ve been looking for you.”

“Ariadne,” he whispered against the wind, again. She took another step forward, climbing onto the edge of the tower. She reached her hand out, holding her breath. He was right there. She could almost touch him. Just one more step…

“ARI!!” Charlie screamed, having reached the top. She was four steps from pitching completely off the tower to her death. “ARI!”

She didn’t hear him. She took another step, and another hand outstretched in the air, eyes fixed on something he couldn’t see.

“ACCIO BROOM!” He shouted into the wind, desperate for anything that might prevent the girl he loved from walking to her death. He ran towards her as she took the fatal step off the edge. His broom hit his hand as he watched in horror, almost slow motion, her disappear over the edge. He mounted, kicked off, and dove after her.  
He didn’t think he’d reach her. His mind was screaming, a loud, piercing sound, but nothing could stop Charlie from catching anything midair. He was under her, arms out, relieved when he felt her body in his arms. Gripping the handle carefully, he pulled up, and guided them softly onto the grass below.

They tumbled off, his grip never leaving her body. He looked down at her. Her eyes were closed, face pale. Was she breathing. He pulled her up to his chest.

“ARI!”  
She opened her eyes.

“Jacob,” she breathed.

“He wasn’t real, he wasn’t real,” Charlie repeated, rocking her against him. She was staring straight ahead, in shock.

“He tried to kill me.”

“No, no,” Charlie said, shaking his head. “He wasn’t real.”

“He is,” she replied flatly, looking beyond him at something Charlie could not see. “And he’s trying to kill me.”

 

Barnaby met them on the grass and grabbed Charlies broom as Charlie slung Ari into his arms. “Is she okay?” Barnaby asked.

“I saw her pitch forward, you with her. I…”

“She’s okay,” Charlie murmured, more to her than to Barnaby. “Just in shock.” Barnaby uncorked a liquid and pried Ari’s mouth apart, pouring the thick, red substance down her throat. She didn’t fight him, eyes still glassy. What was she seeing now? She hadn’t said anything since she told him Jacob had tried to kill her.

“Tulip said she was going to try and get Ari’s cup so Penny could see what was in it,” Barnaby told him as they walked back towards the castle. “See if Merula and Ismelda messed with it. Rowan gave me this...an antidote to common poisons.”

“He tried to kill me,” she whispered again. Barnaby looked at Charlie, confused, but Charlie just kept walking, looking straight ahead. However traumatized Ari was, he was doubly so. If he’d even been a second later she would be dead, broken on the ground. His throat constricted, his face grew hot and he could feel tears stinging against his eyes.

He swallowed, walking silently to the Hufflepuff dormitory, Barnaby at his side while Ari whispered that Jacob had tried to kill her occasionally.

It was just the nine of them in there, waiting anxiously. Charlie set Ari down on the plush, yellow sofa and Rowan immediately wrapped in a fuzzy, yellow blanket. Ari drew her knees up to her chest and rested her chin on her knees, looking straight ahead.

“What happened?”

 

 

Charlie recounted what happened on top of the astronomy tower hollowly. No one moved, or seemed the breathe, as they listened, their faces horrified at what he described.

“She just walked right off?” Penny whispered, looking over at a blank Ari. Charlie nodded.

Tulip glanced at Rowan and then pulled out the piece of parchment. “Penny and I found this in Jacobs old study,” she said. Ari’s head snapped up and she snatched it.

“What is it?” She asked, turning it sideways before pushing it away from her face. She froze again, blinking, and then crumpled it up and threw it across the room.

“When did you find that?” She demanded.

Tulip looked down at her feet. “WHEN?!” Ari shouted, causing them all to jump.

“A couple weeks ago,” Penny responded. “We didn’t want to tell you…while you were trying to be normal.”

Ari slumped back down into her blanket, looking up at the ceiling, tears in her eyes. Ben bent down and picked up and the rest of the group looked at it. “It’s just trees,” said Tonks. Ben moved it away from their faces and one by own comprehension dawned on them.

“A dark mark?” Andre asked. “Why?”

Ari shook her head. “He tried to kill to me,” she repeated.

“Is it possible Jacob was opening the cursed vaults for dark purposes?” Ben asked, a shudder rippling through him.

Ari shrugged. “I barely knew him. He was gone before I was ten.”

“We would know, if he was…a death eater,” Barnaby said but he didn’t sound confident about his words.

“Would we, though? None of the clues he left make any sense. He was really secretive.” Rowan reminded them.

“We have to find out,” Ari said, silencing them all. “No more normal bullshit. I need to find out what my brother opened.”

 

*

 

She didn’t know how she did it. She waited until everyone cleared out, and the dorm was completely silent. It had taken longer than she expected. Every time she stirred, one of her dorm mates would move, too, to check on her. One by one they fell asleep, and Ari made a dash out of the dorm before anyone could wake up and catch her, careful to close the curtains so no one would realize she was gone.

There was real danger in getting caught after hours. Filch and his cat were always lurking, and Snape seemed to not need sleep. She still felt emotionally hollow after the events of the evening, nearly walking to her death, seeing her brothers dark mark drawing. She was in shock, she knew it. She should go see Madam Pomfrey. Or tell Dumbledore. She knew she wouldn’t.

Clad in a soft pink, short, cotton sleep dress and ankle socks she darted through the empty castle unseen. A miracle, she breathed, once she reached the Gryffindor portrait. She whispered the password to the sleepy lady and then stepped inside. Up six more flights of stairs until she reached the sixth year boys, and slid in, closing the door softly behind her.

“Ari?” Charlies voice whispered in the dark.

“Yeah,” she whispered back, crawling into his bed. He reached up and pulled the curtains so no one would see them. She’d been half afraid that he’d send her away, an unfounded fear, she realized.  
He laid back down, hyper aware that he wasn’t wearing a shirt, only a pair of thin shorts, and her own short sleep dress. She didn’t care, crawling under the blankets and burrowing herself into the crook of his arm.

“I’m so sorry,” she whispered after a moment, her voice thick. “I don’t know what happened, I thought-“

“Shhh,” Charlie whispered, wrapping his arms around her. “There’s nothing to forgive you for.”

She cried for a while and he rubbed her back in the darkness. “You’re always around, when I need saving,” she finally said, sniffing. He could picture her in his mind, curled up, eyes stained red, looking more apologetic and beautiful than anyone human being had any right to be.

“I always will be,” he promised, pressing his lips to her scalp but not kissing. He just let her be, curled up against him, until her breathing steadied.

 

*

 

Rowan pulled the curtain back to Ari’s bed, intending to crawl in and hug her. She had barely slept that night, giving up finally around four am and waiting for the sun to come up. She wanted to talk to Ari about what happened and support her however she could.

She found an empty bed. She walked down to the common room, but it was empty too.

“You’re up early,” Tonks commented a minute later.

“So are you,” Rowan replied.

“Detention,” Tonks said morosely, running a hand through her pink hair. “What’s your excuse.”

“Ari’s missing.”

“Oh, she snuck out around two am,” Tonks waved her hand breezily. “If I had to guess, I’d say it starts with a Charlie and ends in a Weasley.”

“You think so?”

“Anyone with eyeballs would,” Tonks called over her shoulder before walking out the door.

 

*

 

“Hey Charlie you want to go get-“ Ben pulled the curtain back on Charlie’s bed to find him half awake, arm draped over Ari. “Oh hey Ari.”

“Hey Ben,” she mumbled, rubbing her eyes. “What time is it?”

“Almost ten.”

Ari exhaled noisily, sitting up in the bed, leaving Charlie lying there alone and a little disappointed. She turned around to ask him if he wanted to go eat or stay in bed but the words died on her lips. Is that what he had been walking around looking like, every single day, casually as if he wasn’t the most handsome boy in the entire castle? His shoulders were dotted with freckles that extended all the way down to his forearms. His torso was lean and hard which, she thought, made sense considering how much time he spent running around a Quidditch pitch, but knowing it and seeing it were two totally different things. She resisted the urge to run her hand down his abs and instead looked up at his face. Blue eyes and fair skin were framed by orangey-red hair. He reached up and brushed a piece out of his eyes in what felt like slow motion.  
She jumped out of the bed. “Breakfast sounds amazing Ben, give me like, fifteen minutes and also can I borrow a pair of shorts? I think we’re the same size.”

“Wow, that was a huge blow to my ego,” Ben said, mockingly placing his hand over his heart. He dug through his trunk all the same, and produced a pair of knee-length shorts, which she slipped on quickly as Charlie leaned up in the bed, running another hand through his wayward hair.

“See?” Ari said, pulling the waistband of Ben’s shorts out dramatically. “You’re still much, much bigger than me.”

“They’re stretchy Ari, you don’t have to patronize me,” Ben retorted. “Go get changed, I want to eat!”

She darted out of the room, leaving Ben and Charlie alone.  
“Want to talk about it?” Ben asked awkwardly after a second.

“Not even a little bit,” Charlie responded.

 

*

 

“So she was definitely in his bed?” Rowan asked Ben one last time. He nodded.

“Yes.”

“Were they dressed?” Tulip asked.

“If they weren’t dressed this would be a very different conversation,” Ben promised. “It looked like they were just sleeping.”

“I don’t know why you’re so shocked,” Andre said, forking a sausage. “You saw them last night. Charlie looked…rabid.”

“He watched her walk off the astronomy tower,” Barnaby said softly from his spot next to Rowan. “That would upset anyone.”

“I couldn’t find the cup she drank out of last night,” Penny said quickly. “But I’m certain that someone tampered with it.”

“Someone, just say Merula,” Ben spat. “We all know it was her.”

“I hate her so much,” Tulip hissed, looking over at the pasty girl two tables down. “Let’s blow her common room up, just like we did Filch’s.”  
“No, no,” Rowan interrupted. “We need to get Merula back in a way that doesn’t implicate us at all. Especially since Ari said she wants to keep looking for Jacob. We’ll definitely be breaking into another cursed vault, so we should minimize the trouble we get in to before that.”

“Spoken like a true prefect,” Andre said, raising his glass and winking. His own prefect badge gleamed on his sweater.

 

“Hey Young!” Merula shouted when Ari and Charlie walked in a few minutes later. “Heard you did some late night stargazing! See anything interesting?” She was cackling, Ismelda next to her grinning sinisterly. Ari’s stomach dropped as she remembered her phantom brother luring her to her death.

“Ignore her,” Charlie whispered but Ari barely heard it, blood roaring in her ears. With no warning she jumped onto the Ravenclaw table in a bid to attack Merula. She planned to beat the smug, stupid look off of Merula’s face with her bare hands.  
Charlie grabbed her by the waist and pulled her back as McGonagall and Sprout came charging down on them.

“Ari,” he hissed, grabbing both of her hands. “You are an AWFUL dancer!” He said too loudly, twirling her quickly.

“What is going on here? Weasley, Young, explain yourself.”

Charlie dipped Ari, her mouth gaping with confusion. “Just teaching Ari here how to dance. She is not good, as you can tell. I keep telling her dancing is all about keeping your feet on the ground,” he emphasized those last words, his eyes narrowed, “But Ari here loves to get creative.”

“That is so true,” Ari responded when Charlie pulled her out of the dip and back up to her feet. “I am completely hopeless and I really wanted to make Hufflepuff proud at the ball this year.”

Sprout and McGonagall did not look impressed or convinced. Her anger at Merula had not abated at all. Ari could see her pulling faces behind their back. She forced a smile onto her face.

“The day you make Hufflepuff proud would be a rare one indeed!” Professor Sprout declared, turning on her heel to walk away.

“I look forward to seeing the two of you together, dancing a perfect waltz this year,” McGonagall told them before shooting one last suspicious look and walking back to the head table.

“A perfect waltz?” Ari said, looking hopelessly up at Charlie.

“Let’s just go sit,” he said, steering her by the elbow to the table. “We can worry about that later.”


	6. Rescue Me

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I want to say thank you, again, if you've left any sort of kudos or comments or liked the post on tumblr. This is a teeny fandom and I'm just so grateful for everything.
> 
>  
> 
> I want to say, real quick, that I know in the actual HP universe there were no dances every year and I've decided that it must be because Tulip and Tonks pulled off such an amazing prank during their last one, the teachers just scrapped it completely. That's coming up in next week's chapter (the dance, not the epic prank).

_Whatever you do, don't ever play my game_

_Too many years being the king of pain_

_You gotta lose it all if you want to take control; sell yourself to save your soul_

_Rescue me from the demons in my mind. Rescue me from the lovers in my life._

_Rescue me._

 

 

“Hey mum,” Ari started, looking at her parents in Sprout’s fireplace. She’d been given permission to contact them after just being upfront with Sprout.

“I want to ask them about Jacob,” she’d told her head of house. “I think it will help me understand some things better.”

Jacob had been Professor Sprout’s student, too, and Ari planned to ask her about him as well. She’d start with her parents, first. After all, they knew him best, having raised him. What she really wanted was reassurance that Jacob was the soft spoken, quiet boy in her memories and not someone who had dabbled in the dark arts.

Her mother’s face was a cindered outline in the fireplace, but Ari could make her features out all the same, more from memory than anything else. Curly, dark hair, sea foam green eyes, olive skin, and high cheekbones. Her mother could trace her lineage back all the way to Crete, or so she said. Ari had seen the family tree. It started with one of the first ever witches, Pasiphae, the creator of Crete’s famed Minotaur. Ari’s mom had been obsessed with the story as a little girl, going so far as to name Ari herself after Mino’s and Pasiphae’s other daughter, Ariadne, who had helped bring an end to the terror of the Minotaur.

Jacob and Ari had heard the story over and over as little kids. Jacob had always been more interested in the family mythology than she was. Jacob had been given a nice, easy-to-pronounce English name. Ari had gotten…well…the Greek name and everything that went with it. Did her mother have high hopes for heroics out of present day Ariadne too? If so, Ari couldn’t help but wonder if she had been a disappointment.

“What is this about, Ariadne?” Her father’s face emerged next to her mothers. So much of their father’s features had been washed away by her mother, but Ari had somehow managed to inherit his thick, red hair. A common story of her birth always included how much her mother cried when Ari had emerged with wisps of bright, carrot colored hair. It had darkened into a nice auburn as she aged, the only part of her father that had physically manifested in either of his children. Ari had her mothers cheekbones, her olive skin, her green eyes. As she stared at them, she realized how homesick she suddenly felt.

“It’s about Jacob,” she told them, swallowing hard. Jacob was a taboo subject among Helene and Edward Young. After he disappeared, they stopped talking about him. They had begged her to stop looking for him. Until the drawing of the forested dark mark, Ari had never bothered to ask why.

“What about him?” Helene asked. Her voice sounded guarded.

“I found something of his…just a drawing. I was wondering…what was he like, before he disappeared? Was he normal or like…?”

“Why are we dragging all this out, Ariadne?” Edward snapped. “There’s no reason to dredge this back up.”

“No, I know, I just. I felt like-“

“You felt like breaking your mothers’ heart?” Ari cringed. She could hear the soft cries from the fire place.

“No. I just want to be able to put Jacob behind me, that’s all!”

“Jacob was a troubled boy who got mixed up in something he didn’t understand and if you’re not careful, so will you. Let it go, Ariadne.”

With a crack, they both vanished. Ari sighed in frustration, shoving herself away from the fireplace but not getting off the floor. Why couldn’t they just talk to her about him? Remove the mystery of Jacob? Did they think it wasn’t hard for her?

The door creaked softly behind her. Ari looked over her shoulder to see a sympathetic Sprout watching her.

“Did you hear that?” Ari asked, climbing to her feet. Professor Sprout nodded and indicated for Ari to sit in a chair opposite of her. Ari climbed into the squashy chair, tucking her legs under her as she watched her head of house. “What was he like?”

Professor Sprout considered the question for a moment. “Jacob…he embodied so many good qualities that Hufflepuff’s value. He was determined,and hard working. A smart boy who favored defense against the dark arts, not unlike yourself. He was also a good dueler and had a penchant for putting his nose where it didn’t belong.”

She raised an eyebrow at Ari, and Ari knew she should feel bad but she didn’t. Not today. She was aware she was a problem student for Sprout, but in her defense, Professor Sprout also had Tonks, who made Ari look like Rowan.

“Unlike you, Jacob did not have many friends. In fact, I don’t think he ever had one at all. He was secretive and even as a first year, suspicious of the people around him. I sometimes…well…sometimes I wondered how much emotion he had the capacity for. As he grew, empathy was not one he wore well. Many, many times, I and others attempted to draw him out of his shell, but he was content to be alone. How he found out about the cursed vaults, I will never know. What Jacob found, I cannot say, but whatever it was got him expelled, and then he vanished. Do you understand why I'm telling you this, Young? If you walk your brothers path, you may end up exactly where he did."

“Do you think he was evil?” Ari whispered, unsure how to digest this new information. 

Sprout hesitated, which was all Ari needed to know. “No, I don’t. Just young and confused.”

Ari stood and smiled, but her insides were cold and she felt sick. “Thank you, so much. Really.”

Sprout didn’t get up and Ari could tell there was something that was being held back. That was fine. She didn't believe for one moment that Sprout didn't know why Jacob had been expelled. 

She didn’t care if the adults in her life didn’t want to be completely honest. She had Jacob’s journal. She’d work on decoding it instead. She could figure this out herself, just life she always had.

 

*

 

Rowan and Ari were sitting in the common room with aqua colored face masks on their faces. Ari had whispered everything her parents and Sprout had said, along with her own feelings that everyone was hiding something from her.

“What would they be hiding, though?” Rowan mused, her dark hair in the messiest bun Ari had ever seen.

“Who knows? Maybe Jacob killed someone? Why wouldn’t they just tell me everything?” Ari responded, her own hair pulled back in a fat, French braid. She played with the ends of her hair absently, looking down at Rowan’s hands. Rowan was nervously gripping and ungripping the edge of her sleep shirt. It was a habit, one of Rowan’s many nervous habits. In a lot of ways, Rowan was like Ben. Maybe that was why Rowan disliked him so much. Ari knew though, that when push came to shove, Rowan was always going to be standing right next to her, no matter how afraid she was.

It was a quality Ari admired, especially when she sometimes wondered if she actually felt fear. It seemed to her that she often ran headfirst into danger without considering the consequences, like most people did. Hadn’t Sprout said that Jacob didn’t seem to experience emotions? Maybe Ari didn’t either.

Except…she had been terrified last year staring down the dragon. And, she reasoned, not just of a fiery death. She’d also been scared to see Charlie hurt, or die, which was empathy. So, maybe not exactly like Jacob.

“Wouldn’t we know if he killed someone?” Ari asked, wanting to write the theory off. She couldn’t. Everyone had been so nervous, her own parents couldn’t talk to her about him.

“Maybe. What if he didn’t succeed? That wouldn’t exactly be news,” Rowan mused, “Besides, it doesn’t have to be murder. It could be anything. We should research it.”

“How?” Ari began peeling the edge of her mask absently. Rowan smacked her hand.

“Thirty minutes, Ari. You’re supposed to wait thirty minutes. And if he did anything noteworthy, two different sources will know: the ghosts, or the paper.”

 Ari rolled her eyes. “The last time I said hi to the Fat Friar he roped me into an hour long conversation. I’d rather talk to the Bloody Baron.”

“Fine. You take Sir Nicholas and the Bloody Baron and I’ll track down the Gray Lady and The Fat Friar. If Jacob did anything seriously suspect in the castle, they’d know.”

“And the paper?”

“Leave that to me,” Rowan said with determination that sounded almost scary. She looked over at Ari. “You can peel your mask now.”

“Oh thank Merlin, it was starting to itch.”

 

*

Research was where Rowan felt most at home. Coming up with a plan, executing that plan, and reading through pages upon pages of old Daily Prophets in order to glean any useful knowledge.

So far, she’d found none. The Fat Friar had been useless, although he reiterated that Jacob was strange and withdrawn, but that wasn’t anything Rowan didn’t already know. Ari was putting off talking to the Bloody Baron, which was starting to annoy Rowan. Yeah, he was creepy but push past it and just ask. If anyone was aware of the creepy, weird things people were up to in this castle, it had to be him. He was the Slytherin ghost after all.

Rowan was trying to be sympathetic but they needed to know who Jacob was. Why was he even expelled, for that matter? Couldn’t Ari ask Dumbledore? Rowan wanted to ask her to ask him, but Ari was on edge lately, and becoming defensive. On the one hand, Rowan could sympathize. This was the brother she’d been searching for for six years, that she wanted back more than anything else.

But…on the other hand, what if what Jacob found was so incredibly evil it had corrupted him? Or, worse, what if he had searched it out because he was already corrupted? They needed to know. They all deserved to know, but more importantly, Ari needed to know if she was walking into something truly dangerous. Ari was Rowan’s sister, and losing her would be like losing herself.

 

She sighed again, tossing the paper away from her. Barnaby, who was reading a book on fire crabs, looked up with a touch of annoyance on his face. “Something wrong?” He was still studying with her in the library, a fact that she’d stopped finding surprising. She actually found his presence comforting, in a way. She liked being around him. Normally studying with other people annoyed her but Barnaby was nice. If she was being honest, she was starting to suspect it was more than just enjoying his company. She liked the way he smiled, how unsarcastic he always was, how he was willing to do the right thing even if it meant being ostracized by his peers. It didn’t hurt that Barnaby was also incredibly handsome. His eyes were a deep, emerald green, his hair a messy, chestnut brown. He was tall, and broad shouldered, lean from years on the Quidditch pitch. He was also driven, like she was. He knew exactly what he wanted to do when he got out of this place and worked hard to make it a reality. He wasn’t the best at every subject, but he was the best at Care of Magical Creatures. Maybe better than Charlie Weasley. Better, Rowan decided. Charlie didn't get to have everything. 

“Rowan?” He asked again, setting his book down. She realized she’d been staring. She shook her head.

“I’m trying to find anything about Jacob, but nothing exists.” She got up and moved so she was sitting directly next to him, so she could whisper better without anyone overhearing. A mistake, she instantly decided, when he turned his eyes directly on to her. “Uh...er…”

“Why would anything he did be in the Daily Prophet?” Barnaby didn’t seem to notice how flustered she was. “Didn’t Ari say she grew up in Greece?”

Rowan blinked. Ari had grown up in Greece, on some remote, hidden island that had been in her family for generation. Rowan remembered Ari telling her this on the train ride to school their first year, as they exchanged information about each other. They’d moved, she’d said, at her fathers urging, when she was little, six or seven. "If he did something, it would have happened here...unless..."

"Unless he started as a kid," Barnaby shrugged. "Look at half of Slytherin House. We started really, really young. Maybe Jacob did too?"

“Barnaby, you’re a genius,” she muttered, standing up. Time to quiz Ari about her childhood.

“Well,” he replied, watching her gather up her papers. “I’m definitely Barnaby.”

 

*

 

They were meeting Professor Sprout, their head of house, to talk about career options as their seventh year rapidly approached. Ari was surprised to wake up that morning to a foot or more of snow on the ground. None of them were particularly excited about it, Ari included. Thinking about life after Hogwarts gave her anxiety. She liked seeing her friends every single day in one place. She didn’t want to imagine being split up, not seeing each other for weeks or months at a time.

It was already disconcerting how many seventh years were getting engaged. It seemed like anyone in a relationship that was graduating was feeling the pressure to get married. Ari looked at them, smiling faces and rings on fingers and thought they didn’t look any older than she did. She certainly didn’t feel old enough to be paired to someone for the rest of her life.

 

The girls lined up with their male counterparts and waited to be called. “When we’re done lets meet up in the Great Hall,” Rowan said. “Compare notes with everyone else.”

“Penny Haywood!” Professor Sprout called. Penny shot them a grimace and walked into Sprouts office, prepared. She knew she wanted to do something with potion making, something that was, ideally, around other people.

“Ms. Haywood…let’s see…E in potions on your O.W.L.s-“

“I want to be a potion master, full stop,” Penny said, cutting Professor Sprout off.

Professor Sprout raised an eyebrow but didn’t argue. Penny had practiced saying that over and over in the mirror that morning, afraid that her natural charm and willingness to go along with other people would lead Sprout to suggest careers she wasn’t interested in. Her parents were already dead set on her joining the ministry, which sounded like Penny’s personal nightmare.

“Well, there is Saint Mungos,” Sprout said, handing Penny a pamphlet, “Which is a rewarding career involved in helping people. There is also a career at the ministry, teaching…” she continued handing Penny pamphlets, “As well as small business options..”

“Wow. I never knew so many different people brewed potions,” she said, eyeing the stack in front of her.

“You have options, Ms. Haywood. Remember that.”

 

Rowan went next, practically bouncing up and down. “I want to teach!” She practically shouted when she walked in. Professor Sprout pinched the bridge of her nose, wondering if all her sixth year girls were going to be this forceful when it came to careers. Hufflepuffs, she reminded herself, were decisive. Her girls certainly exemplified that trait.

“Yes Ms. Khanna, you have mentioned that many, many times. Unfortunately there is not an open position that would suit you here at Hogwarts…unless you’ve suddenly become overwhelmingly interested in Defense Against the Dark Arts?”

Rowan shook her head, disappointed.

“If you are serious about becoming a professor at your age, I would suggest a few things. First, consider learning a foreign language. Just because Hogwarts doesn’t need someone doesn’t mean other schools don’t. Second, narrow your focus. Pick one subject you are most fascinated with and really learn it inside and out. I would also suggest spending your summer as an apprentice to someone who is an expert.” Sprout handed Rowan pamphlets and pieces of parchment with contact information on it. “Reach out and see if they’d be interested. Most witches and wizards are happy to pass on what they know.”

Rowan was breathless at the possibilities.

 

Tonks sauntered in, certain Professor Sprout would have nothing for her. “Ms. Tonks,” Sprout said completely business like. “Sit.”

Tonks sat down, flipping the end of her skirt back and forth.

“I spoke with your mother, who seems convinced you will be married and settle down, much like she did around your age. She suggested something a little more easy going for you."

Tonks’ face darkened. “I am not getting married. Maybe ever,” she added.

“I did let her know that I had not noticed that you were romantically inclined. Regardless, I only have one pamphlet for you in a career I know you would excel in.” She slid it across her desk to Tonks, who picked it up warily.

“Auror?” She said with disbelief. “Are you-“

“I have never been more convinced of anything in my life, Ms. Tonks. With your determination, passion, and skill I think you would make one of the finest auror’s anyone has ever seen.”

Tonks clutched the pamphlet to her chest, eyes pricking with tears. “Thank you.”

Sprout waved her away as if it was nothing to her. “Ms. Tonks?” She called as Tonks was about to walk out.

“Yeah?”

“I have personally always thought marriage was overrated.”

Tonks smiled as she walked out.

 

“Ms. Young, my last student of the day,” Professor Sprout said, flipping open Ari’s file.

Ari nodded, sitting softly.

“Have you given any consideration to what you want to do when you leave?” She asked.

“Curse breaking,” Ari said firmly.

“And wouldn’t you excel at it? I have a talented group of girls this year,” she added, sliding several pamphlets across the desk. Ari picked them up, seeing Gringotts at the front. Behind it were banks in America, France, Ireland…and “Romania?”

Professor Sprouts entire face lit up when Ari said the country out loud. “You never know where you might end up, Ms. Young.”

“Romania seems pretty unlikely, though, Ari responded, opening it up. “What could possibly send me out to Romania.”

She was annoyed with her head of houses reaction. Why was she smiling like that? “Anything could happen, Ariadne. Keep your options open.”

 

*

 

“Okay, spill,” Tulip said once all the Hufflepuffs were at the table. Ari was the last person to sit, squeezing herself between Andre and Barnaby.

“You _do know_ what table you’re at, right?” She said with no real malice. They almost always met at the Hufflepuff table. Hufflepuffs tended to be more welcoming of other houses.

“Fashion designer, Quidditch player,” Andre said, ignoring Ari. “The obvious choice is Quidditch though. I’m going to train over the summer if I can get a player to take me under their wing, and try out my seventh year.”

“Magizoologist,” Barnaby told them. “Snape seemed pretty disappointed and I’m not sure why. I had an E in Care of Magical Creatures.”

“Snape is a git,” Rowan assured him.

“McGonagall almost cried when I told her I didn’t want to play Quidditch for England,” Charlie smiled, running a hand through his hair. “But it’s dragonologist or nothing.”

“Big shock,” Tulip rolled her eyes. “Professor Flitwick seemed to think I should be an auror. Me. _Law enforcement.”_

“Me too! High five!” Tonks said, high fiving Tulip across the table. “Apparently my mum told Professor Sprout I would be married soon, which she hoped would settle me down."

“Married to who?” Ari asked incredulously.

“No one,” Tonks said firmly. “If my mom thinks I’m ever getting married she has another thing coming.”

“Well, Professor Sprout suggested Saint Mungos for me,” Penny said. “Which is much better than a ministry career.”

“Hey! I was suggested a career at the ministry!” Ben interrupted.

“That makes a lot of sense,” Andre said as everyone nodded their heads.

“Teacher, of course,” Rowan told the table. “She said I should expand my options though, and consider teaching abroad.”

“She suggested that for me, too,” Ari said, fanning her pamphlets out.

“Teaching?” Tulip asked with disbelief.

“No, curse breaking, but curse breaking abroad. Look, she’s got normal suggestions, America, France, Ireland…and then Romania.”

Charlie’s entire face it up. “She suggested Romania? Really?”

“Why would she pick Romania? Isn’t Germany closer?” Penny asked.

Ari shrugged helplessly. “She told me to keep my options open."

 

*

Barnaby, and Ari were on their way to Jacob’s old hideout to flip through his papers. “We need to get his journal back,” she said with a sigh.  “I lost it last year in the Forbidden Forest.”

“How?”

“A dragon was chasing us, I guess I just forgot to be more careful with my things,” she said sarcastically. Barnaby was completely guileless and never caught sarcasm, which made conversations between him and Tulip hilarious.

“You’ll have to be more careful next time.”

She suppressed an eye roll. “Next time.”

She unlocked the door and walked in to a sight she never expected to see in a million years. Tulip was sitting in Jacob’s old chair and Penny was in her lap. Penny’s hair was completely undone, her hand on Tulip’s face, Tulips hand up the back of her shirt. Barnaby and Ari froze as Tulip and Penny scrambled off each other.

“Congrats!” Barnaby said once they had straightened themselves out. “I didn’t know you were dating!” He turned to Ari, a huge smile plastered on his face. “Did you know?”

She shook her head but she couldn’t help but smile, too. “I didn’t. Are you guys keeping this a secret?”

“We…” Tulip looked at Penny helplessly. Penny seemed close to tears.  She walked over to Barnaby and Ari and squished them into a hug.

“What’s happening?” Barnaby asked but Ari shushed him.

“I thought you guys wouldn’t want to be my friends anymore if you knew.”

“That’s the dumbest thing you’ve ever said,” Ari told her.

“Why wouldn’t we want to be your friend?” Barnaby wondered.

“Exactly,” Tulip said.

“If anyone is or has been mean to you about this, tell me right now,” Ari said fiercely. “So I can jink them into next winter.”

“I’ll help!” Barnaby added. Penny wiped her eyes as Tulip put her hands on Penny’s shoulders.

“I told you our friends would not care.”

Penny was nodding. “You were right. Let’s tell everyone at dinner tonight. I bought a dress for the ball and I don’t want to spend this weekend worrying about anything else other that looking amazing.”

 

*

Ari and Barnaby were bouncing up and down at dinner, waiting for everyone to get there.

“What is going on with you two?” Ben asked, noticing the two of them giggling uncontrollably for the third time in ten minutes.

Ari clapped a hand over Barnaby’s mouth when he opened it. “What are you talking about? Everything is completely normal. This is how we always are.”

“I mean, I definitely feel like Ari is constantly putting her hands on Barnaby’s face, so this is very normal,” Charlie responded sarcastically.

“Barnaby and I are very close,” Ari said but she couldn’t keep her face straight. “We are always touching.”

“Because…you’re dating in tonight’s episode of ‘Hogwarts Most Unlikely Couples’?” Andre asked pointedly.

“Friends can touch each other,” Ari said defensively.

“I’m pretty sure you’ve got your hand over his mouth because you know he is physically incapable of keeping a secret,” Ben said reasonably.

“Let the man talk!” Andre demanded. Ari removed her hand. She had been moments from doing it anyway because he’d been licking it. She wiped her hand on her skirt.

“Tell everyone what’s going on Barnaby,” she said, her eyes narrowed as she dug her nails into his leg.

“OW! Everything is normal, just like Ari said.”

“Liar. Tell us!” Ben urged.

“You’re right,” Barnaby said, his eyes darting around. “Ari and I are dating.”

“WHAT?!” All four of them shouted.

“We are not!”

“Who is dating?” Rowan asked, sitting on the other side of Barnaby. His face suddenly changed from amused to nervous.

“No one,” he said as Ben said, “Ari and him.”

Rowan’s smile vanished. “Really?”

Ari shook her head. “No, Barnaby and I are definitely not dating.”

“You and Barnaby are dating?” Tonks asked, sitting in between Charlie and Ben. “I can see it. Kind of. Only because you’re both right in front of me.”

“I feel like I should be offended,” Ari complained.

“Oh you definitely should be, that was not a compliment,” Tonks replied placidly. “I just think you belong with other people, like-“

Ben clapped his hand hard over Tonks face. “Like no one and wow isn’t this weather really nice today?”

“It’s snowing,” Ari responded flatly. “Now who is keeping secrets?”

“We need to tell you something!” Penny interrupted. Ben withdrew his hand from Tonks face and everyone turned to look at Tulip and Penny, who were standing there, holding hands. “We’re dating.”

No one said anything for a second. “Was that the secret?” Andre finally asked, looking back at Barnaby.

“I kept it! No one can ever say I didn’t!”

“I almost wish they had been dating now,” Andre said as Tulip and Penny sat down. “You two make a lot more sense so it’s not as interesting.”

“Now that I know it, it feels weird that I never realized it,” Tonks added, looking at them.

“You guys don’t care? Like at all?” Penny demanded.

Charlie shrugged. “At least it’s not like…Merula or something.”

“Why do you have to be like that? Really? Who raised you?” Tulip asked him, a look of disgust on her face.

It felt normal, though. No one was concerned about Tulip and Penny in the scheme of things. Hogwarts, on the other hand, was buzzing with the news. Barnaby had adopted a scowl and would often walk next to the two of them glaring at anyone who dared to say something. Boys, especially, seemed to want to comment on it, which made Barnaby’s menacing necessary.

Tulip took a much less subtle approach and jinxed anyone who dared to even whisper in her direction. Ari and Rowan themselves had silenced a giggling group in the library, causing Madame Pince to ban them for an entire week, personally torturing Rowan. There was also a rumor circulating that Andre and Charlie had jumped a Ravenclaw quidditch player after their last match because of a comment he’d made regarding Tulip and Penny, though Charlie and Andre would not comment on it. They took their detention silently.

The excitement surrounding Tulip and Penny died down as the Christmas ball approached. It was only available to fifth years and up and happened over Christmas break this year. Ari’s entire group of friends had chosen to remain behind this year and go, unlike the year before when only Andre and Barnaby went. Ari had been forced home for family “bonding” time. This year she had put her foot down. She hadn’t been in any serious trouble to warrant spending the break in her room, avoiding her parents.

Both Andre and Ben already had dates and Barnaby had been hanging around the Hufflepuff dormitory more often, leading Ari to believe that he must be trying to work himself up into asking someone from their house to the dance.

Ari was trapped in a waking nightmare. She never realized how popular of a date she was until people started coming up in the hallway to ask her to dance. She couldn't help but feel skeptical of all the attention. The last time she'd gone on a date it had been a big practical joke that ended with all her friends in detention. She wasn't going to go with anyone who asked, just to be safe. She could only trust her friends.

“Shield me,” She instructed Barnaby as the pair left Divinations. They were the only two of the group of nine of them still taking it. They had agreed the previous year to continue taking it because they both agreed it was an easy A. Professor Trelawny was an absolute fraud.

“Ms. Young!” Professor Trelawny called. “Do you have a moment? I want to discuss something I saw in your tea leaves.”

“I’ll wait outside.” Barnaby said as Ari rolled her eyes. Ari walked back over to Trelawny to look into her discarded cup.

“You said you saw trees and here, a little bird,” Trelawny said, frowning into the cup. “But I see death.”

Ari suppressed a laugh. Of course she did. When did Trelawny _not_ see death.

“Oh?”

“This is not a bird, dear, but a dementor, see? See the shape?”

Ari looked into the soggy leaves. She had made the bird completely up. All she saw was a mess of wet leaves.

“Yeah, I see my mistake now.”

“Death is coming for you in the form of…family,” Trelawny continued. “A family member is dangerous to you.”

Ari stared at her flatly. “Wow. Good to know.” Even a broken clock was right twice a day.

“Be careful dear!” Trelawny called as Ari stomped out of her classroom.

“What did she want?” Barnaby asked, climbing down the stairs with Ari.

“To warn me of my upcoming death by dementors,” Ari responded darkly.

“That doesn’t seem likely.”

“Well she’s not exactly stable now, is she?”

“Hey Ari can we-“

“No!” She snapped, whirling around at the bottom of the stair case. “We can’t! We can’t do anything!”

Charlie put his hands up defensively. “Everything okay?”

She breathed out. “Sorry. People keep asking me to go to the dance with them and I just assumed-“

“Well I am here to talk about the dance,” he cut her off quickly, seeming annoyed. “We told Professor Sprout and McGonagall we’d dance a perfect waltz.”

“Oh no…” Ari said, remembering that conversation. “I can’t even do a bad waltz.”

“We need to practice,” Charlie agreed.

 

*

“Hey Rowan!” Barnaby shouted, catching up with the dark haired girl outside the library. He’d been looking for her all week.

“Hey Barn, what’s up?” She asked, falling into step with the handsome Slytherin.

“Who are you going to the dance with?” He blurted out, unable to stop himself. He had been practicing an entire speech but the moment he saw her it all went out the window. Rowan seemed to know so much, even when she was just looking at him and it made him nervous.

“No one,” Rowan answered, sounding surprised. Rowan wasn’t like Penny or Ari, an obvious choice. She was too hidden, she thought, behind her glasses and books. She was fine with that, too, she decided. Dating seemed like it made people miserable. Ari had gone on one date and he’d called her a bitch in front of the entire school. Rowan didn’t mind skipping that experience.

Barnaby, however, was relieved. He was been privately worried that someone had already asked her. He’d spent a lot of nights laying awake thinking about their interaction on Halloween and how nice it would be to repeat it, without the fear and loud noises. A dance was the perfect environment for that.

“Do you want to go with me?” He said, his words rushing together. Rowan stopped.

“You?” She asked, incredulously. It wasn’t like she hadn’t noticed how attractive he was, but…what would they talk about? He spent a lot of time with her silently reading with her, but they’d never really had a conversation.

True, she had seen Ari and him laughing together a lot, and Ari liked being around him so much she’d willingly taken Divination and Care of Magical Creatures just so they could hang out. But Ari wasn’t interested in him, romantically, either.

“Yeah, me.” Barnaby responded, shifting his weight from one foot to the other. He refused to wonder if he’d made a mistake. Even if she said no, at least he tried.

“Okay,” she agreed after another agonizing moment. Rowan decided that the dance would be a good way to see if Barnaby was deeper than he appeared, or even if they had any real chemistry together. Besides, she reasoned, it wasn’t like anyone else had asked. It would be nice to have someone to dance with.

He smiled. “That’s amazing. I’ll meet you outside of Hufflepuff!"

Rowan watched him rush off, privately pleased. Let everyone call her boring now.

 

*

Rowan was waiting for Charlie as he walked off the Quidditch pitch. It was late and she wasn’t supposed to be out here, but getting him alone was surprisingly difficult. He was always surrounded by people. Even now, he was walking out with people, although they scattered when he saw her.

“Rowan?” He asked, squinting at her in the darkness. “Is everything okay?”

“Kind of,” Rowan told him, falling into step with him. She hoped that no one questioned why she was out of bed. “I need you to do something for me.”

“I guess it depends,” he responded, running a hand through his hair. He smelled sweaty and somehow like air, even though air didn’t really have a smell. His face was flushed red from exertion. Rowan put a little more distance between their bodies. She felt like she could feel the wetness of his skin on hers and it made her skin crawl a little. Sweat was one of the things that skeeved Rowan out.

“What has Ari told you about her childhood?” Rowan asked him. Maybe Ari had told him a lot more than she’d told her. Rowan doubted it though.

Charlie shrugged. “I don’t know? Almost nothing. I’ve never really asked.”

“Can you? Specifically about why her family left Greece?” They walked into the castle. Charlie grabbed Rowan by the elbow and she cringed at how clammy his skin felt on hers.   

“Why? What’s going on?”

Rowan sighed. They should have just told they whole group what Sprout had told Ari. “Professor Sprout mentioned to Ari that Jacob was a…troubled kid. I’m just poking around, trying to see if there was anything about Jacob as a kid that maybe set of some red flags?”

“Does Ari know you’re doing this?”

“Kind of. We’re trying to see if he did something while he was here that might have gotten him expelled but what if what he did didn’t happen at Hogwarts, but at home?”

“Why don’t you just ask her. You’re her best friend, after all,” Charlie responded, his feet moving again. They were walking slowly up the stairs towards the Great Hall, where they’d part ways for their individual dorms.

Rowan shook her head. “She’s been so defensive lately. Ask her during one of your dance practices, when her guard is down.”

“And then, what? Report back to you.”

This time, Rowan grabbed Charlie to stop him. “Yes. Yes, go behind her back and tell me because the possibility that Jacob intentionally got involved in something dark gets more likely by the day and I don’t want to watch her chase after him and vanish, too. Do you? Are you comfortably shielding Ari from the truth and losing her? Because I’m not.”

Charlie pulled his arm out of her grasp, obviously annoyed. It had been low of Rowan to suggest he was okay with her vanishing. She knew he was in love with her. It’s why she was asking him in the first place. Charlie was easy to manipulate when it came to Ari. He’d literally do anything for her, even risk his own safety, as he’d proven last year, going into the forbidden forest with her. He could have been expelled, but he’d gone anyway.

He’d go again, Rowan knew. Just like he’d ask Ari, and report back.

“Of course not. I’ll ask her,” he retorted, his tone laced with irritation. She watched him huff off, pleased. Now she could wait. 

 

*

“Charlie let’s just go confess to McGonagall right now,” Ari said after their third straight night of practicing.

“We’re getting a lot better,” he argued. “You haven’t stepped on my foot once tonight!”

“That’s a low bar and you know it,” she grumbled, letting go of his hands and stepping away. “We are not graceful at all and the dance is in two days. We can’t spend all our time dancing together. My feet hurt.”

“We can, and we will. I will not admit I lied to McGonagall. Not after the reaming she gave me last year for going into the forest. Come on,” he motioned for her to come back into the waltz. “Keep your eyes on me and let me lead, okay? Just move your feet.”

“Easy for you to say,” she sighed, but put her hand in his, letting him pull her close, and began moving to no music. She kept her head up, looking up at him and tried to relax.

“You’re leading,” Charlie whispered. “Let me lead.”

“I don’t mean to.”

More silence punctuated their dancing. Ari was concentrating, her eyes on his face but far away as she tried to remember where to put her hands and feet. Charlie’s heart was beating fast, partly because he was actually holding her and it felt nice, but also because he was supposed to be getting her to talk about her childhood.

“You know,” he said after a moment, looking over her head, “Bill taught me how to dance. Bill could do anything easily, with almost no effort. I don’t even know who taught him. He was probably just born knowing.”

Ari smiled, thinking of Bill. “That sounds like him,” she agreed. Charlie relaxed slightly.

“Did you and your brother do things like that?”

Ari considered for a moment, accidentally tripping as she stopped concentrating. “Oops. Sorry. No, not really. I followed Jacob around a lot as a kid. I’m sure it was annoying.”

“I did too,” Charlie told her. “Everything Bill did, I wanted to do, too. He was my hero. He still kind of is.”

Ari’s smile was huge. “Bill is my hero, too. You and Bill are only two years apart though. There was a much bigger age gap between me and Jacob, which made him infinitely cooler and me way more annoying.”

“Maybe,” Charlie conceded, lifting her into the air. As she came down, he asked, “Did you guys do anything together, though?”

“There was this one game we played,” she smiled, remembering. “We would sneak out to the beach to touch the water. We weren’t supposed to do it, so of course we did. I loved playing that game, seeing how close I could get while Jacob watched. He would laugh and laugh…” She trailed off, lost in the memory. Charlie frowned.

“Why weren’t you allowed on the beach?” She’d grown up on an island, he thought. She had definitely mentioned that at least once. Maybe Rowan had told him, he wasn’t sure. It didn’t make sense that she wasn’t allowed to play in the water when she was surrounded by it.

“It was cursed,” she said so unthinkingly that Charlie almost thought he hallucinated it. “The water had a habit of pulling you in if you got too close and dragging you to the bottom of the ocean. We weren’t supposed to play on it.”

Charlie’s feet stopped moving, but he still gripped her hands. “And you and Jacob tried to, anyway?”

She blinked. “Well…no. Just me, actually. Jacob would…watch.”

Charlie’s body was rigid, his hands tight around hers. They were frozen in place, both staring at each other as the weight of what she said began to settle around them. In her memories, it had been a fun game they played together and she’d never questioned it. She didn’t try and pull her hands out of his, despite how hard he was squeezing.

“The water caught me once, and my dad grabbed me before anything bad happened. We moved, after that. Mom was really upset, we had a really good wizard community around us and she’d grown up there but dad said it wasn’t safe anymore.”

“Ari…” Charlie murmured but this time she pulled away, turning her back on him. The memory was flooding in, a memory she’d repressed. Her, four years old, giggling as Jacob urged her closer, closer, the water slamming into her. Being submerged, helpless, and then her dad pulling her out, screaming at Jacob.

“It was an accident,” she whispered firmly. “We were just kids.” She couldn’t turn to face Charlie.

“Of course,” he said behind her.

“I need to go…” she didn’t wait for a response. It had been an accident, she repeated. They were both young and stupid. It wasn’t intentional, Jacob had loved her. She'd set out to prove her brother wasn't evil, that everyone was being unfair because he was quiet and curious. She refused to believe he'd been anything but the brother in her memory. The brother who loved her and she loved back. 

 

In the dungeons, Ari found who she was looking for. The Bloody Baron was breezing through, morose looking as ever.

“Hey!” She shouted, running after him. “HEY WAIT!”

The Baron stopped to consider her. “Another Young,” he said after a moment. “Curious about the vaults, too?”

“No, just my brother, who you obviously knew. What was he looking for?” Ari demanded. The Baron considered her for a moment.

“We spoke only one time,” The Baron told her. “About how why some people who die become ghosts.”

“Why was he asking that?” She asked, the back of her neck prickling. The Baron looked past her, ready to move on.

“He wanted to know how a person might…cheat death. Ghosts are still dead, though, and I’m afraid I was not of much help to him. What he was looking for was darker magic than even I had ever come across in my life.”

“But why?” Ari asked as the Baron turned his back on her, prepared to glide away. “Why was he asking?”

The Baron paused and turned his head to look at her but didn’t respond. Ari watched him float away, frustrated. Why would Jacob need to know how to cheat death? She had all these clues, but none of them made any sense. A weird, childhood memory of a near death experience. Jacob’s dark mark drawing. His query on how to avoid dying. Had he found something that had made him afraid he might die?

Now, more than ever, she needed his journal. It was lost in the Forbidden Forest, and she needed to get it back. It had been written entirely in code and she’d never know what to look for. Now she had an idea. Maybe she could crack it.

Maybe she could find out what her brother had discovered hidden in the cursed vaults.


	7. Capital Letters

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> As always, thank you so much for liking this story and saying nice things. I got the most amazing review today from Marli, which made my entire day.   
> <3

_We put a crack in the shadows and you tell me it's okay to be the light_

_And not to swim in the shallows, and I want to get drunk with you_

_When we lie so still, but you're taking me places, holding me on to you._

_And we don't care who's watching us_

 

 

Ari was walking into the last Care of Magical Creatures class before Christmas break, in a good mood despite how cold it was. She was bundled up, her face hidden under a yellow and black scarf, only her eyes visible. Her mind was preoccupied with Charlie, who she could see sitting on a log, sketching in his book. She’d shoved Halloween out of her mind but occasionally the image of him, shirtless, popped back up in her brain. With the dance looming closer she was becoming more and more keyed up.

It was all but impossible to deny she had feelings for him anymore. What those feelings exactly where, was more complicated. A person more introspected might have spent some time trying to untangle them but Ari was comfortable with avoidance. Couldn’t she just revel in the memory and do nothing tangible to make seeing more of him a reality? After all, she wasn’t convinced she was the kind of person someone could really love. Hadn’t Peter proved that? Everyone who loved her left her, or lied to her, or both.

She didn’t want to watch her and Charlie devolve into that. She was scared, she thought, stepping through the wooden gate into the classroom. He was in his usual green jacked, his bag sitting next to his brown boots. His hair was in it’s usual messy, low pony tail, the shorter pieces in front falling into his face. He was engrossed in his drawing, unaware of anything around him. Why couldn’t she imprint that image into her brain, she asked herself as she pulled her scarf down to expose the rest of her face. She inhaled the cold air sharply, suddenly angry at herself.

She had no right to want anything else out of him. She’d drag him down with her.

 

“You’re staring,” Barnaby said, pulling Ari off to the edge of the space, right against the fence. He’d been waiting anxiously for her to arrive, getting there before anyone else so he could intercept her. He’d let himself get distracted, thinking about what the day’s lesson might be about. Magical creatures gave him peace where he had so little. His family had been deeply involved with You- Know- Who and had spent his child hood training him up to be a blindly loyal follower and brutal, unforgiving dueler. For thirteen years, his thoughts had been overwhelmingly preoccupied with violence. No one saw him as anything but.

Ari was different. She’d seen him, though. It was a gift, he privately thought. She’d challenged him to leave Merula on his own terms, a duel. Had she really beaten him, or had he let her? Even now, he didn’t really know. It was unthinkable he’d ever let anyone best him in a duel, but since he’d joined her little circle of friends he’d found peace. He’d been given space to care about things outside of the dark arts, which he had realized, he cared very little for.

His real fear was that everyone discovered just how close his family had been to You-Know-Who and judged him for it. He couldn’t help his parents. He knew, if he’d been given a chance, he would take a different path. He was already on one, one that had ostracized him from many of his Slytherin peers, though none of them were willing to confront him directly.

He suspected things would get worse for him when they saw him dancing with a Hufflepuff, but he didn’t care.

Ari snapped her fingers in front of his face. “Now who’s staring?” She asked, her cheeks flushed from the cold. He shook his head. Still her, he realized as he followed her gaze back over to Charlie.

“You,” he replied. “But I’m not here to make fun of you today. I have something for you.” He reached for the lapel on her coat and pulled her up against his body. Her eyes widened.

“Barnaby,” she said, their faces so closed she could smell his hair. He kept his eyes locked on hers as he pulled something out of his pocket and quickly slipped it into hers. Anyone watching them might think they were having an intimate moment instead of passing a stolen object from one hand to the other. That was important. He didn’t want anything to be traced back to either of them. Rumors were easy to ignore when you knew they were fake.

 

Unfortunately, it was Rowan watching them. She’d come in a few minutes after Ari and plopped down next to Charlie. He was absorbed in a drawing of a dragon, oblivious to everything around him, including the cold it seemed. His ears were bright red. Rowan pulled hood over his head to shield him from the wind. She was about to ask him what he’d found out regarding Ari and her childhood when Barnaby and Ari caught his eye. Barnaby was propped up on the fence, the collar of his coat pulled up, offering a small amount of relief from the cold. His jaw was sharp against the black lines and she shivered. Neither of them was talking, both seemingly lost in thought. Ari’s eyes drifted towards Charlie for a second and then back to Barnaby and she snapped in front of his face. Rowan couldn’t hear what she said.

Whatever it was, Barnaby jumped down from the fence and grabbed Ari, pulling him against her. Rowan gasped, slapping Charlie with the back of her hand out of instinct. Were they going to kiss?

“What?” Charlie asked, irritated. He followed her gaze to Ari and Barnaby and inhaled sharply. Their eyes were locked on one another, an intense gaze, their breath mingling in the cold air.

And then he let her go and Ari stepped back, shoving her hand in her pocket. Barnaby took her arm and turned her so their backs were facing Rowan and Charlie.

Rowan blinked, her eyes stinging a little. Charlie looked over at the brunette, trying to unclench his jaw.

“I’m sure it’s nothing,” he said, with no real conviction.

Rowan nodded, unable to stop watching.

 

“What is it?” Ari asked.

“Something I stole from Merula last Christmas,” he told her quietly, looking around.

“You’re stealing?” She asked, sounding aghast. Barnaby resisted the urge to roll his eyes. Ari had done much, much worse.

“Having someone’s possessions is a form of currency in Slytherin. Merula wouldn’t shut up about that stupid flask all last year. It’s a refilling flask; you pour something in it and it’ll constantly refill itself.”

“Why do I need it?”

Still not looking at her, Barnaby jammed his own hands in his pockets as they clenched into fists. “Secrets are also a form of currency. Merula doesn’t understand that; she’s got a big mouth and she needs people to think she’s smart. On Halloween, she had her house elf poison you.”

“She WHAT?!” Ari snapped, turning around sharply, unaware she was being watched. Her hair whipped into her face and she brushed it away, prepared to confront Merula, who had just wandered in with her sycophant, Ismelda trailing behind. Barnaby grabbed her, again, annoyed. Ari lacked all ability to think things through.

“Now you know something Merula doesn’t know you know,” he whispered into her ear, having pulled her close to him again. Ari’s face was etched with fury as she stared Merula down. “And you have something of hers she doesn’t know you have.”

“So what?” Ari snarled, angling her chin so she could look up at him. “I don’t need tricks to curse Merula-“

“You promised Rowan you’d stay out of trouble,” Barnaby hissed back. “Do things the Slytherin way.”

She spun around, green eyes locked on his own.

“And what’s that?”

“Tonks and Tulip are planning to spike the punch. Tonks already has a bottle of Fire Whisky. I helped them get it. It’s stashed away in the Artefact room.”

“Are you suggesting I set Merula up?” Ari demanded. Finally, Barnaby thought. Wasn’t she supposed to be smart?

“No, I’m telling you, you should set Merula up. She’d be in detention for months, Snape would call her guardians, she’d lose a ton of house points. More importantly, she’d know she was set up and she’d be furious. She hates it when someone beats her at her own game.”

Ari looked back over at Merula, hate blooming in her chest.

“Fine,” she said. “Let’s do it.”

 

*

Rowan was distant during class and could barely look at Ari. It was obvious something was wrong, but Ari couldn’t think of one thing that might be bothering Rowan. She hadn’t been able to focus at all, too busy wracking her brain for what she might have one that would have upset Rowan and had gotten bitten. Merula had laughed and Barnaby had to physically stop Ari with his body to prevent her from jumping on top of her and beating the eyes out of her face.

When class was over, Rowan practically ran out. Ari was struggling to gather up her papers. “Can you get this for me?” She asked Charlie, desperately.

“Yeah but-“He said but she didn’t stick around, running after Rowan.

“ROWAN!” She called, but Rowan didn’t stop. Ari hated running, she was so bad at it and Rowan was walking so fast it should have been classified as a run. A jog, definitely.

Ari caught up, breathing heavy, grabbing her best friend by the arm and spinning her around. “Why are you mad at me?”

“I’m not mad,” Rowan said, obviously lying. Her cheeks were burning red. “Not at you, anyway. Just myself, for thinking that someone like Barnaby could like me.”

“What’s that supposed to mean?” Ari demanded. “Of course, Barnaby likes you!”

“I saw you two, together. It’s obvious he…I mean…you two almost-“

“What?! What did we do?” Ari shouted, realizing Ari had seen her and Barnaby plotting against Merula and had taken it wildly out of context.   
“You almost…kissed…” Rowan said, wiping tears away with the back of her hands.

Ari laughed wildly as Barnaby and Charlie passed them. The two looked on, curiously, slowly their steps.

“You did not,” Ari laughed, grabbing Rowan’s hand and jamming it into her pocket. “This is what you saw.” Rowan and Ari’s faces where practically pressed up against each other. “He gave me something to help me get back at Merula.”

“Ari, I’m- “

Ari held her hand up, stepping away. “I would never do anything to hurt you, Rowan. Never.”

She stalked off, leaving Rowan standing there watching, angry at herself for letting her jealousy get the best of her. She felt like Barnaby could do better, and anyone could come along and take him. Seeing him and Ari had been proof of that to Rowan. She hadn’t used logic when she’d watched them together. If she had, she would have reasoned that Ari was so wrapped around Charlie that she barely noticed other boys, and Barnaby had never held any interest to Ari.

Instead her mind had twisted the interaction into something ugly to fit her own insecurities. It all seemed ridiculous. She knew Ari wouldn’t hold it against her, but she felt like the worst friend for accusing her of being interested in Barnaby.

 

*

Ari’s mind was laser focused on the Artefact room. She waited until her classes were done, dodging her friends and their long-standing dinner date. She knew Barnaby would know where she was, hopefully he could cover for her. She passed the Great Hall, walking down the corridor to the Artefact room, where Barnaby had said the Fire Whiskey would be.

Framing Merula wasn’t honorable, and she knew that. Honor was for Gryffindors, anyway, she reasoned. When she tallied up the interactions between Merula and her, she almost always lost. She was too focused on playing fair. Merula was constantly bringing a gun to a wand fight. Knowing that Merula had poisoned her and nearly killed her was eating away at Ari’s brain. Merula deserved to be punished, just the once, by someone playing her own game.

“There isn’t any other way,” she whispered to herself, searching through the cabinets in the room. Finally, she found it, tucked far back and hidden in the lowest cabinet. Uncorking it, she poured it slowly into the flask, inhaling the rich, spicy smell.

Tonks and Tulip would definitely be aware someone had tampered with the bottle but Ari didn’t care. Let them speculate until they died. She planned to dose the punch after her dance with Charlie. No one would be focused on her after that, too busy dancing themselves. Tulip and Tonks wouldn’t be able to beat her to it. She’d leave the flash hidden, but easily findable.

Merula could finally reap what she sowed. Ari knew it wouldn’t help her sleep at night or change what happened, but it would be nice to see someone beat Merula, just once.

 

*

 

Tonks had helped Ari sneak into Hogsmeade the morning of the dance. She needed hair pins and found all hers somehow missing. She swore she always put them back when she used them, but like socks, they seemed to vanish into the void after being used once. Her hair was already done, curled softly and tumbling down her back and her mind running over her plan to set Merula up as she made her way down to the Hufflepuff common room.

Coming the opposite way was Charlie, holding an enormous box. He saw her and smiled, attempting a wave from under the box, causing the lid to tip off. Ari jogged over to help him.

“Whatcha got there?” She asked, peering into the box. It looked like a large, black blanket.

He flushed. “Dress robes,” he admitted, shoving the lid firmly back on the rectangular box. “Bill sent them, they only just arrived today.”

“Why is Bill sending you dress robes?” She asked, charmed by the idea.

“The dress robes mum sent are…well, they were probably fashionable a century ago. I’d mentioned them in a letter to Bill and he sent these so that I…” he trailed off, looking embarrassed. Now she was extra charmed. He wanted to look nice for her. It made her heart pick up.

“Oh. That was really nice of Bill,” she said awkwardly, straightening up now that Charlie had the box firmly in his arms again. He seemed to be seeing her for the first time.

“You did your hair,” he commented, his voice strangled sounding. “It looks nice.”

“Thanks!” She said brightly, fingering one of the long curls. “Rowan did it this morning. I needed pins so I went into Hogsmeade,” she was rambling, she realized, as she held the bobby pins up for him to see. Why was she being like this? It was just regular Charlie: messy hair, brown pants, maroon sweater, green jacket, blue eyes. She saw them everyday and functioned just fine.

But, a small voice breathed in her ear, he’s not fussing over your appearance every day. He isn’t getting dressed up for you every day.

“Uh,” he said, biting his lower lip, “Do you want me to meet you at your common room or…?”

They were really going to this dance tonight, together, weren’t they? He’d never asked her, and she hadn’t asked him. It was happening though, all the same.

She shook her head. “Just…the great hall is probably fine. You don’t have to go out of your way.” She couldn’t look in his eyes anymore. Why was she so scared?

He nodded, smiling. “Sounds like a plan, Ari. I’ll see you tonight.” He stepped around her, heading up to the Gryffindor tower, leaving her there, feeling like an idiot.

After a few seconds of pure terror, she started walking again. Everything was going to be fine. Their little interaction was not going to be an indication of how the night was going to go. They were friends, he never said he wanted to be with her.

She needed to relax.

 

*

 

 

Ari stepped out of the common room, the last of them to leave. Her mind had been replaying the conversation with the Bloody Baron over and over. She hadn’t told anyone what he’d told her, although She knew eventually she’d have to. She needed to get his journal and pour over it, first, before she did anything else. She didn’t know if she could trust her memories of Jacob anymore, but also was unsure if she could trust the perspectives of the people who had known him. Being withdrawn didn’t make him a bad person and discovering dark things didn’t necessarily mean he himself was dark.  She did know, deeply, that she had to at least find out what Jacob had gotten himself into, even if it meant confronting the dragon guarding the cursed vault in the forbidden forest again. If he had gotten mixed up in the dark arts, did she even want to save him? Could he be saved at all?

She wasn’t sure of anything, consumed with her own worries, as she walked down the stairs. Tulip, Penny, Rowan, and Tonks were waiting.

“What a dramatic entrance,” Tulip commented, but she was smiling all the same. Tulip and Tonks had opted to wear black dress robes instead of a gown. “More mobility,” Tulip had said while Tonks had rejected anything that might make her seem even a little marriageable. Rowan had ditched her glasses for the night, her hair pulled off her face. For the first time, Ari had a really clear view of her dark eyes. Rowan was so pretty, she thought, looking at Rowan in her modest, navy blue dress. The dress had elbow length sleeves and delicate beading around the bodice. The front was cut shorter than the back, giving it a soft train, and showing of Rowans shoes, a pair of matching beaded flats. Her neckline scooped gently just under her collarbone, the overall effect incredibly soft.

Next to her, Penny was in a tight white dress. The dress fluted out around her feet and was cut lower, showing off a small amount of cleavage although not enough to cause any trouble with Professor Sprout. The back of the gown was cut midway down her back and her hair was intricately braided into one, large braid that draped over her shoulder.

As for Ari, she’d decided on a flowing, gold dress. Cut like a toga, a long strip of fabric covered one shoulder, leaving the other bare. A white belt circled her waist, giving the dress a nice shape before flowing softly down over her feet. Gold encircled her upper arm, the only jewelry she’d put on. She’d pulled her hair halfway off her face with only small pieces framing her face. Ari was short, but so was Charlie so she’d opted out of heels and instead wore matching gold flats, carefully hidden under the fabric of the dress.

“You know me,” Ari responded, giving them a small twirl when she got down. The dress fanned out around her in a way that gave Ari immense satisfaction. It would look nice when her and Charlie danced their mediocre waltz for their heads of houses. She hoped it might offer a slight distraction to her dancing.

Outside the door, Barnaby was waiting nervously for Rowan.

“This is actually happening,” Tulip whispered, causing Tonks and Ari to break out giggling.

“Be quiet,” Penny shushed them. “I think it’s so nice.”

 

*

“I hope you’re ready to start the first dance,” McGonagall said to Charlie, who was impatiently waiting for Ari just outside the hall.

“We’ve been practicing for months,” he lied, his eyes glued to the corner the girls would be coming down.

“Oh, I’m certain Ms. Young has been giving it her all,” McGonagall responded, leaving Charlie to his nervous thoughts. He thought he might explode into a million tiny pieces and he hadn’t even seen her yet. The glimpse he’d been given this afternoon was driving him crazy and he had to fight the urge to run his hands nervously through his hair. Ben had spent a long time making it look decent. Six years and this was finally happening.

He was wondering if he should just lay his feelings out at her feet and see what happened when she appeared around the corner like something out of a dream he’d had. She looked like a living goddess, clad in sparkling gold, laughing at something Tonks had said.

“Close your mouth,” Ben whispered next to him, causing Charlie to jump.

“When did you get here?” Charlie asked, dragging his eyes off of Ari.

“Long enough to see you making an ass of yourself. Play it cool.”

“Oh, you’re suddenly at one with the ladies?” Charlie challenged. Ben’s face went red.

“Just trying to be helpful,” he muttered. “Not that is matters. You two need to get it together.”

Charlie looked back up to see her almost in front of him, lips parted, eyes wide. He jogged towards her.

“You look…”

“You too,” she agreed, looking down at her feet.

“I cannot listen to this all night,” Tonks said, walking away. “I just can’t.”

Barnaby clapped a hand on Charlies shoulder and said, “It’s your responsibility to let me know if you two get together tonight.” Charlie blinked, but Barnaby swanned away, Rowan at his side.

“There you are,” Professor Sprout interrupted Charlie and Ari’s pining. “Time to show us what you’ve got. A flawless waltz.”

Charlie offered Ari his arm and the two walked in.

“Who has this dance?” Tulip asked as Ari went past. She snapped her head in Tulip’s direction just in time to see Penny elbow her hard.

“I have tonight,” Andre crowed, watching Charlie spin Ari onto the dance floor. They had never practiced with actual music.

“Deep breath,” he whispered. “Head up, I lead…prove our heads of house wrong.”

She nodded, placing a hand on his shoulder. His hand was warm on her waist, and he pulled her closer than usual. She steadied her breathing as the music began, and then they were moving, everyone’s eyes on them.

 

“I hate this,” Rowan complained. “Look at them, if they’re not married by the end of this dance something terrible has happened.”

“You were SO SURE you were right, but no one can resist a person in formal wear,” Andre said smugly, watching Charlie lift Ari into the air with more grace than he would have imagined from the pair. To their left, McGonagall and Sprout were watching with twin smug expressions. Tulip was watching them curiously.

“Ben,” she whispered. “What’s Charlie’s plan when he graduates?”

“He wants to study dragons in Romania,” Ben whispered back, his eyes never leaving the dance floor. “Some amazing dragonologist has already promised him a spot if his grades don’t change.”

Tulip looked back over at Professor Sprout. Were they _matchmaking?_ She was outraged. The teachers couldn’t interfere with the pool. Sprout had suggested curse breaking in Romania for Ari, McGonagall had them dancing together in front of the entire school…no. The teachers were cheating.

 

Charlie spun Ari one last time as the music stopped. His heart was pounding, blood rushing in his ears. Everything had happened just as he had promised Professor McGonagall: flawlessly. Ari hadn’t tried to lead or stepped on his feet. He could hardly believe it.

Light clapping broke their concentration and Ari ducked her head, stepping out of his embrace. The rest of the students flooded the dance floor, leaving them standing in front of each other awkwardly.

Charlie opened his mouth, ready to tell her everything he’d been thinking, when something caught her eye.

“Merula,” she said darkly. “I’ll be right back.”

He turned and caught her arm. “Let me help.”

She looked at him for a moment and then- “Okay.”

 

*

“Dancing doesn’t feel natural,” Barnaby said, letting Rowan lead in the dance. “Dancing is for girls, not men.”

Rowan frowned. Why did so many of her friends have such bad parents? “Well, dancing can be powerful. You saw Charlie, did he seem weak?”

“He lifted Ari four times, you have to be pretty strong to do that.”

Rowan suppressed a laugh. “Exactly. But, Barnaby, being a man is about more than just brute strength.”

He looked down at her. “I believe you.”

Her breath caught in her throat for a moment, but she cleared it away. She was all keyed up, watching her best friend fall in love under the candle light, that was all, she told herself. Barnaby and she couldn’t have been more different if they’d been born on different planets. She was definitely attracted to him physically, but intellectually she wasn’t sure there was anything between them. She’d always imagined she would grow old with someone that she could talk to for hours, about anything.

“I want to try, to be that kind of man. I don’t want to be another brain-dead Death Eater,” he continued, oblivious to her inner monologue. “I want to study animals, like Professor Kettleburn. Maybe even teach people about them. You see, with animals you don’t need to be anything but exactly what you are. They can see you, you know? Does that make sense?”

Rowan nodded, unsure of what to say. Now who was speechless?

“That’s what I like about you. You see people for who they are. No one else really sees me, but you do.”

Their eyes met, and she smiled. “I do see you.” She didn’t, she realized. She never had. She wanted to, though.

 

*

“Barnaby gave this to me during our last Magical Creatures class,” Ari said, pulling a flask out of the back of her dress. “It’s Merula’s. What’s neat about it is that it constantly refills. There is no way to ever run out of whatever you put in it.”

“What did you put in it?” Charlie asked suspiciously.

“Fire whiskey. It was all I could get my hands on,” she admitted.

“Are you planning to spike the punch bowl?”

“Do you think it’s a bad idea?” She asked, nervous suddenly. If Charlie thought it was a bad idea there was no way she’d be able to go through with it.

“Tonks and Tulip are going to be really disappointed that you beat them to it,” Charlie stood in front of the bowl, using his body to shield Ari from view as she began pouring the whiskey into the punch.

“I didn’t do anything,” Ari said, hiding the flash just out of view, but not so well it couldn’t be found and traced right back to Merula. “Merula did.”

He smiled.

“Want to dance again?”

“Are you offering to be my alibi?” She teased, taking his offered hand.

“Why nothing would delight me more.”

“Mr. Weasley, you flatter me.”

 

*

“Can you believe someone spiked the punch?” Tulip sulked, sitting down at the table everyone else was resting at.

“What?!” Rowan spluttered, spitting her drink back into her cup.

“Yeah,” she said sourly, watching Penny and Tonks dance. “I was going to do that.”

“Well I for one am completely shocked,” Charlie said with feign surprise.

“Yes that is brand new information to me as well,” Ari giggled. Tulip narrowed her eyes at them.

“What did you do?”

“This punch is amazing,” Barnaby interrupted, plopping down to Rowan. “Here, taste it.”

“Oh, honey, no…no. Give me that,” Rowan said, taking the glass from an obviously tipsy Barnaby.

“Let’s dance!” He jumped back up, enthusiastically, motioning for Rowan to join him but she declined.

“I will!” Ari volunteered, letting him spin her theatrically.

“I am really bad!” He said, laughing as they made their way through people.

“So am I. Charlie just made me look good.”

He grabbed her hand and the two began a ridiculous, but fun, twist. “Look,” he said, pulling her flush against his chest. “You can be in love with Charlie but you can’t date him until we get into the cursed vault in the forest. I have a lot of galleons riding on that outcome and-“

“What?” Her smiled faltered a little. “What do you mean you have galleons riding on us getting together in the cursed vault?”

“The bet, the bet! Everyone knows about the bet!” He continued, oblivious to what he was saying. “I put money on a cursed vault and I really want to win.”

“You made a bet?”

“We all did! Tulip, Tonks, Ben, Rowan, everyone has money in it!”

“Does Charlie?”

“Pffft! Nope! We can’t tell him, either. Hey where are you going?”

She stormed over to her friends, most of whom were still gathered and talking around the table.

“You made a bet about my love life?!” She demanded, cutting through their conversation. Charlie’s smile faded as he looked around at the instantly guilty faces.

“What bet?” He asked. Ari was shaking, furious with her friends.

“They all made a bet on if we would start dating,” she said, her voice trembling. “They put money on it and everything.”

He blinked and then stood next to Ari. “Is this true?”

“It was all in good fun,” Tulip said quickly.

“It’s just you guys are so obviously…” Rowan’s words died on her lips.

“So obviously what?” Ari demanded. “So obviously what, Rowan?”

“In love!” Tulip exploded, jumping out of her seat, fists balled up at her side. “Anyone with eyes can see it, Merlin even the teachers are trying to set you two up! It would be almost funny if it wasn’t so pathetic.”

Ari took a step back. She felt as if Tulip had slapped her. “I thought you were my friends.”

“Ari!” Rowan shouted but Ari turned on her heel and strode out. Charlie hesitated, watching her leave. He turned back to his friends, his face disappointed.

“You know, she thinks that no one really loves her, right? This isn’t your best look.”

 

*

Ari didn’t know where to go. She couldn’t go back to her room, where her “friends” would be waiting, and she could bare to face anyone else. She was pacing down a hall. “I just need somewhere I can be alone. Where no one can find me. A place where I can cry,” she murmured to herself, trying to think.

“Ari,” Charlie said, jogging towards her. Shame bloomed in her chest. “Hey, come on, come talk,” he said, taking her hand and leading her to a door she could have sworn had not been there before.

Inside was the strangest room she’d ever seen. It looked exactly like a Hogwarts dormitory, but it was empty. Large, fluffy chairs were situated in front of a roaring fireplace. A fluffy rug covered the majority of floor space and a four-poster bed was pressed up against a wall, as if it had been abandoned years before.

“Did you know this was here?” She asked, having momentarily forgotten why they were there in the first place.

“No,” he said, looking around, surprise written all over his face.

“I just wanted somewhere to be alone,” she said, sinking into one of the chairs. He followed, sitting on the arm. She rested her head against his leg.

“I know they weren’t trying to be mean, but it makes me feel like we’re some kind of big joke,” she finally said after staring into the fireplace silently. “Did you know everyone thinks we’re in love?”

“Aren’t we, though?” He asked with more bravery than he felt. “I know that I’ve been…well…since I first saw you. You changed my eleven-year-old life.”

She blinked. Who had he even been to her that first year? They’d had Herbology together and he had been dismal in it. Flying lessons, he was amazing even as a first year, and had made the Gryffindor Quidditch team his second year. She’d watched him play, but he wasn’t even on her radar. They hadn’t met, to her, until her fourth year. Bill had brought him to help them study. Charlie had a reputation then, for magical creatures.

She had been annoyed at first. Barnaby was Ari’s encyclopedia for magical creatures then. Charlie seemed like an adrenaline junkie and was an outsider. How quickly he had become one of her best friends, though? She’d taken to him almost immediately, taking him into the forbidden forest with her…fighting that red cap, the acromantula…

She didn’t say anything. “I don’t know,” she finally admitted. The lapsed back into silence and she thought. _Be honest,_ her mind demanded. She thought back to last year, running from the dragon. What had she been the most afraid of?

Charlie dying. She’d dropped Jacob’s journal, the only link she had to him, so she could save Charlie’s life. It would have been unthinkable to her, to let it go, under any other circumstances. What wouldn’t she have risked going back and get it?

Anything. But not Charlie.

If she was being honest, was it her life she was really worried about? Sparing him from the pain of her death, or sparing herself the pain of his? She could put off dating until the Jacob thing was no longer hanging over her head, when they were both safe, and there was no risk at all that she had to worry about Charlie.

It was selfish, and she knew it.

“I don’t want to live a life that you’re not in,” she finally whispered, afraid to look at him. “I thought…I thought if I put this off…put US off, I could spare you the pain of me not surviving the cursed vaults. But really I was sparing myself that pain.”

“What are you saying?” He asked, his voice hoarse.

“I love you, too.”

“I can wait, Ari,” he said, sliding down from the arm of the chair so he was kneeling in front of her. He took her hands in his and looked at her earnestly. “I meant it. Just hearing you say you love me too…it’s enough. I can wait. We can finish this year, and even next year if you need to.”

“Charlie…” she said, overwhelmed but he shook his head.

“It’s no good if you’re fighting yourself to be with me. I want you to want it as bad as I do. I can wait. It’s just time.”

“We’ll open the cursed vault…together. And we’ll face whatever is inside it together…and after that…we’ll just be together. I swear it.”

He kissed the top of her hand, eyes closed.

“As long as we’re together.”

 

*

“I’ve looked everywhere,” Rowan said hopelessly. They had resumed their search after Ari hadn’t come back the night before. “I didn’t find her anywhere.”

“I can’t believe Barnaby told her,” Tulip fumed from inside the Hufflepuff common room.

“It’s not just his fault,” Penny sighed, chin in her hand. “It’s all of our faults. It was really thoughtless of us to make that bet in the first place.”

“It wasn’t meant to be hurtful…we were just rooting for them,” Tulip vented, frustrated.

“I know. She’ll come around, just give her space,” Rowan said. Tonks jumped up to answer a banging on the door. Ben and Barnaby trudged in.

“Charlie didn’t come back last night, either.”

“They’re together, somewhere,” Tulip finally stopped pacing and sat down. “I just want to apologize.”

“Honestly, I think we should just leave them alone. If we push it, they might not want to be around us anymore.”

“It wasn’t that big of a deal!” Tulip argued. “Just a stupid bet made among friends.”

“It was a big deal,” Rowan sighed. “We were jerks.”

“I feel like an asshole,” Barnaby added.

“I like Ben’s idea. Let them come out when they’re ready,” Tonks decided. “At which point I will throw myself at Ari’s feet and beg her to forgive me.”

Tulip nodded. “Okay.”

 

*

“We made a mistake,” Ari said, sitting in her gown and looking at the door. “Everyone is going to know I didn’t go home last night.”

“I can go get you something to wear,” Charlie offered. “So you don’t have to do a walk of shame through the castle.”

“Yeah but then you’ll have to do the walk of shame,” she pointed out. He shrugged. What did he care? He was personally having the best twenty four hours of his life. She’d told him he loved him, promised that they would stay together, and let him hold her until she fell asleep and now she was sitting there, in the same bed they’d slept in the night before, disappointed they had to part ways. He was comfortable hiring a sky writer, but walking through the castle in last nights dress robes was fine with him as well.

“We could just walk out together?” She suggested. “Find out who won the bet.”

“We’re not dating,” he reminded her.

She took a deep breath and let her hands flop into her skirt. “I should be brave. Let’s just go together…and hope we don’t run into any of our teachers.”

“Whatever you want.”

 

The walk wasn’t as bad as she thought it would be, which wasn’t saying much. So many people were lounging around and openly staring. Charlie didn’t seem to mind as he guided her through the halls, his hand pressed gently against her lower back. Charlie had had the right idea when he suggested going to get her clothes. She knew rumors would be flying all over the school before she ever made it back to her dorm.

She was grateful he walked her all the way to hers instead of parting ways at the staircase. They stood outside Hufflepuff door, staring at each other.

“See you Monday?” He offered, finally. She nodded, wrapping her arms around his neck and hugging him tightly.

“See you Monday.”

 

She watched him walk away for a moment and then lifted her skirt and walked in. Tonks, Tulip, Penny, and Rowan were sitting together, playing a game of chess. They didn’t register her immediately when she came in. A third year sitting on the other end of the room took her appearance in and asked, “Did you stay out all night?”

Four heads snapped up to look at her and she just shrugged. “Maybe I did.”

The girl smiled.

“That is seriously so cool.”

Ari stood in front of her friends, looking at them each in turn. Charlie had told her the night before that he wasn’t mad. If she was being honest (it seemed like she’d been doing a lot of that these days), she really wasn’t either. She was just hurt.

Rowan stood and hugged Ari, followed by Tonks, Penny, and finally Tulip.

“I’m really sorry,” Tulip whispered. The rest of the girls murmured in agreement.

“I’m not mad,” Ari said from the center of their hug. “It just hurt my feelings.”

“We shouldn’t have done it,” Rowan said quickly.

“We didn’t mean anything hurtful by it,” Penny added.

“I understand if you don’t want to invite us to your wedding,” Tonks said.

“Merlin Tonks,” Rowan cried.

“Too soon,” Tulip responded, hiding a smile. Ari smiled too. If the worst thing her friends ever did to her was argue about her love live, was that so bad?

A little twinge said that maybe she wasn’t totally over it, but Ari shoved it down. For now, she wanted to be, so she would be.


	8. Transpose

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you for the reviews and the kudos, and for reading this! It always makes me happy knowing someone other than me is getting enjoyment out of this story. I read a post one time that said if you couldn't find the fic you wanted, you needed to write it yourself. That's basically why this exists.
> 
> I'm also trying to get this up every week, since it's already written and just needs to be edited. This chapter isn't as long as the others usually are and that's because there was no good way to break it up without either making it impossibly long, or stopping in the middle of action. The next chapter will be the usual length.

_It's true, maybe I've been wasting my time_

_All the time._

_From time to time, we fall in line, but now it seems we are blind._

_No one knows, that's how it goes_

_All the thoughts that we transpose._

 

 

Once school picked up again, so did Ari’s plan to retrieve her brother's notebook. Her and Rowan stood at the edge of the forest, peering in.

“You don’t suppose you could just… _accio_ it out?” Rowan suggested.

Ari considered that. “Maybe. Let’s try. _Accio_ Jacobs notebook!” She called. They stood there, waiting, but nothing happened.

“That seemed like it would be too easy,” Rowan sighed. “I was just hoping you wouldn’t have to go back in.”

“Me too. The Forbidden Forest creeps me out. Ari agreed, turning back to head to the castle.

“So, what’s your plan?” Rowan asked.

“Probably the same as before. Fly in, snatch it, fly out. Hope I don’t get eaten by a dragon.”

“You’re gonna fly in alone?” Rowan looked sideways at Ari. Since the ball, Ari and Charlie had kept a fairly healthy distance. Charlie had gone back to eating with the Gryffindor’s and Ari kept her eyes firmly on her own plate. Her and Charlie had a plan, and she was comfortable with it. She didn’t want to give her friends the satisfaction, either. Let them think that her and Charlie were not interested in each other anymore. She knew they were all dying to ask, but too afraid to reopen the wound. The peace between them all was tentative at best. Ari had not held them accountable for what happened. She wanted to move on, she swore she did, but she couldn’t help enjoying watching them squirm a bit.

“I’m not a bad flyer, I figure I could do this on my own,” she replied placidly. “It’s not like I’m going in to a cursed vault by myself.”

“That’s true,” Rowan admitted. “It’s just…with a dragon on the loose…don’t you think you should…take Hogwarts’ resident dragon expert?”

Ari shrugged nonchalantly. “If he wants to go, I guess, but it’s really not a big deal for me to go alone.”

She knew she’d take Charlie. There was no way she was going to fly back into a dragon’s waiting wings without him. He was the best flyer at the school. He’d saved her life on a broomstick twice. She’d also promised they’d find Jacob together and she meant it. She missed him.

 

*

Tulip and Penny were back to sorting through Jacob’s belongings again. “She’s still mad,” Tulip said, looking at other drawings.

“Charlie is too,” Penny sighed. “He used to sit next to me in arithmancy and since the incident he’s been sitting across the room. It doesn’t help that they barely look at each other anymore.”

“Do you think we messed it up.”

Penny nodded. “Yeah. I think we freaked them out and now they’re avoiding each other. I keep trying to think of a way to force them back together that isn’t obvious.”

“They’re so clearly right together,” Tulip groaned. “I need to stop thinking about it. I need to worry about other things. Like Jacob. Was he evil, or misguided?”

Penny opened a drawer they’d only ever glanced in and pulled out a stack of papers. “Um…both, maybe?”

Tulip looked over at an elaborate maze made of dark marks. “This looks…obsessive.”

Penny rubbed her mouth, turning it over to look at the next one. “Does this look like the you-know-who boggarts?”

“They do. Why would be drawing that?”

“More trees. He’s obsessed with forests. I don’t get it, but I’m starting to think we shouldn’t open that vault.”

“We need to get his journal. There were so many symbols in it, maybe these are all just clues.”

“Tulip lets be really honest for a second. Would Jacob have assumed that Ari would go looking for him, and leave hidden clues behind?”

“She was a lot younger than him.” Tulip admitted. “Like…eight years or something.”

“So, if he’s not leaving clues then what is all this? The deranged drawings of someone losing grip with reality or someone who has discovered something he’s passionate about, and never thought he’d disappear?”

“Or never thought anyone would ever find.”

“I’m starting to think that looking for Jacob is a lot more dangerous than we thought.”

 

*

Ari sat on the floor of Jacob’s old room all the doodles of dark marks surrounding her. Who was he? She tried to remember him, but nothing felt right anymore. Every time she felt like she closed the door on one mystery, six more popped up. Jacob the death eater felt just as right as Jacob the loving, missing big brother. She had hoped that with each opened vault, he’d somehow be inside.

She was beginning to think the vault with the boggarts were more of a warning than a clue. What had he found? Did she even want to find it?

She tried to think of a timeline. You-know-who would have been defeated around the same time Jacob was in school. Death Eaters would have been ferried into prison. It would all be playing out in the paper. Maybe the history of it all fascinated him. There was no way for him to actually _be_ a death eater, not with you-know-who dead himself.

The Bloody Baron’s face floated into her mind and she immediately stuffed it back down. No. That was impossible.

“What did you get yourself into, Jacob?”

 

 

*

“Happy Valentine’s Day,” Barnaby said, catching up with Rowan outside of potions.

“I’m going to…walk away,” Ari said, turning around abruptly. Rowan looked back at her red-haired friend for a moment before turning back to Barnaby. Since the disaster that was the ball, she’d been trying to avoid him. It wasn’t especially difficult. They had no classes together and she had moved her studying to the Hufflepuff common room to avoid him in the library. She shouldn’t be mad at him, after all, Charlie and Ari had spiked the punch (although Merula had been the one who’d been punished for it), which caused Barnaby to spill the secret. And it wasn’t like everyone didn’t know that Barnaby was terrible at keeping secrets. But Ari was still upset over the whole thing. She wouldn’t even look at Charlie which made Transfiguration especially awkward since the two had been sitting next to each other all year. Rowan liked sitting next to Andre but instead had been forced to swap spots, so Ari and Charlie could pretend to be strangers.

“Thanks, Barnaby,” She said, clutching her books a little tighter to her chest.

“I know you’re mad at me,” he said, walking in front of her so she had to stop. “It’s my fault everything blew up with Ari.”

“It’s everyone’s fault,” she said firmly, trying to step around him. He blocked her again.

“I like you,” he said bluntly. “I thought we…had a moment. Was I wrong?”

She shook her head. “It’s not that you were wrong, it’s just…we don’t have a lot in common.”

“What are you talking about? We have a lot in common. I want to prove it to you. You think because I’m not book smart that we don’t have anything to say to each other, but we do. Let me take you out, just one date and if you still think that I’m not good enough, I’ll accept it.”

Rowan bit her lower lip. No matter what she said, Barnaby was going to be disappointed. He was right; they shared nothing in common. The idea of trying to make conversation through an entire date sounded like torture. What he could possibly have to say?

“Okay. One date, and then we put this entire thing to bed.”

“That’s all I need,” he promised, practically skipping away.

“I’ve made a terrible mistake.”

 

*

“I just need one warm day,” Ari complained, looking at the snow falling from the sky again. “This has been the wettest winter on record, I swear it.”

“I don’t know why you’re so desperate to get back into the forbidden forest,” Ben retorted, flicking his wrist like Flitwick had showed. His book went flying across the room, nearly crashing into another student. “Ari, you’re distracting me.”

Ari ignored him. “I just need to know. I have to know if Jacob was interested in death eaters.”

“Even if he was, so what?”

 _“So what?_ ” She asked incredulously. “Ben you once screamed at your own literal shadow.”

“It looked like a spider- you know what, I’m not going to keep defending that. It was legitimate.”  
“How can you say so what to him being interested in death eaters? They killed a lot of people.”

“And now they’re all in jail.”

“Not all of them! Some of them got off on an insanity defense or…paid a lot of money to avoid jail.”

Ben stopped working on his wand movements and faced Ari. “I’m saying, even if he was in to something evil, does that change anything for you? He’s still your brother, right? You still love him, don’t you? Maybe he just got caught up in something bad and couldn’t get out before it was too late? I think you’re judging him too harshly.”

Ben, of course, spoke from experience after having been placed under the imperious curse and forced to do something awful things their fourth year. It had almost fractured their group as a whole at the time, and Ari sometimes still wondered if Rowan ever truly forgave him for what happened in their fourth year. The only reason he was still sitting next to her, talking to her as one of her best friends was because she forced it. No one had been allowed to say anything bad about Ben in front of her.

“I just need to know, one way or the other, what happened to Jacob.”

“Take Charlie back into the forest. You know he wants to see that dragon again. Find your notebook, let’s solve the mystery of Jacob.”

 

*

Getting Charlie to agree to go back into the forest was another matter entirely. He was constantly on the Quidditch pitch, training for the house cup. She kept trying to wait for him, but the weather was cold or he stayed out ridiculously late. She finally bit the bullet, bundling herself up and climbing up the stands to watch the Gryffindor team practice. She’d brought some of her school work with her, since it seemed like everything was amping up. Spring would be right around the corner and hopefully they’d get a crack at the next cursed vault.

She was reading by wand light when Charlie flew over, hair windswept, face sweaty.

“Hey you. Did you come all the way out here to see me?”

She closed her book. “I was hoping we could talk.”

He lowered his broom, so it was level with the edge of the stadium and patted it. “Let’s go then.”

Ari gingerly climbed on, gripping him tightly. Flying was not her favorite thing in the world, although she was getting better about it. She credited that to all the time she’d been on one while Charlie zoomed around.

He landed, jogged into the locker room to stash his broom, and then began walking back to the castle with her.

“What’s on your mind?”

“I want to find Jacob’s journal. We need to go back into the forest.”

“Now? Right now?”

“No, not today, but maybe once there is less frost on the ground? I’m gonna ask Barnaby to put together a map based on how we went in last time and I was hoping you could help him, since you flew us out.”

“It’s pretty hazy,” he admitted, rubbing the back of his neck, “But I could definitely try.”

“I just want to retrace our steps, not spend weeks covering the forest inch by inch. It’s massive.”

“And then what?”

“And then we see if we can piece together what he was doing, or at least, what’s waiting for us in this vault so we’re not going in blind.”

“Do you remember what I told you fourth year, when we were preparing to try and go in the first time?”

“‘Sometimes it’s better not to overthink it…we can always run if we have to.’” She repeated. The advice had seemed so bad back then. It still seemed bad, now, but it had served them well.

“Let’s get his notebook and put together a loose plan to get in the vault. Worst case scenario, we’ll run.”

They were in the castle now, standing at the edge of the staircase that marked their parting of ways. Ari headed down towards the kitchen and Charlie up into a tower. He gave her a little smile.

“We’re close Ari. We’ll have answers soon.”

 

*

“Rowan and Barnaby have to be the strangest couple Hogwarts as ever seen,” Andre said, walking into The Three Broomsticks during their latest Hogsmeade visit.

“How is it going?” Ari leaned forward, nearly spilling Tonks butter beer in the process. “Amazing? Awful? Is she sneaking out the kitchen to make a mad dash for freedom?”

“Only you would do something that ridiculous,” Andre rolled his eyes. “They looked like they were having fun.”

Ari slumped back in her chair. “You are the actual worst right now Andre. Where is Penny when I need her?”

“Two tables away, pretending we don’t exist,” Charlie pointed out. Penny and Tonks were having a date of their own, completely ignoring the table of their friends.

“Boo!” Ben cried, throwing a handful of popcorn at them. Tulip and Penny pretended not to notice.

Ari looked back down at the parchment in front of them. They had been working on a map of the forest for the last week and mostly all they had were doodles of trees, and one huge dragon.

“Remember when the worst thing in the forest was just some spiders and couple centaurs?” Ari asked despondently.

“Oh yeah, draw those in, too,” Ben said, pulling the paper towards him so he could doodle a couple spiders.

“Did we fly over the centaur camp?” Ari asked, looking at the map sideways.

“On the way in, yeah, definitely. On the way out…I’m not so sure.”

“I’m positive I dropped it before we left,” she said. “I just don’t remember if we were running away or standing right in front of the dragon when it happened.”

“I want to see that dragon again so bad,” he said dreamily.

“What was your favorite thing about it? How angry it was or how it tried to kill us? I think my favorite was the fleeing for our lives, personally.”

“She was just really beautiful,” Charlie said, ignoring Ari’s sarcasm.

“He’s going to get you killed. I could always fly you in,” Andre said.

“I’m not going to get her killed,” Charlie retorted.

“Let’s keep that idea in our back pocket though, just in case,” she said to Andre, mostly to tease Charlie. She had no intention of going without him.

 

*

The date was going better than Rowan expected. Barnaby wasn’t her match intellectually but he was interesting. He knew things she had no idea about, mostly the dark arts and magical creatures. He also was more interested in her ideas around teaching, as well as the general history of magic, than anyone else around her. Even Ari’s eyes often glazed over when Rowan began waxing poetic about how teachers should be younger. Barnaby’s whole face was lit up, even if he didn’t understand a lot of what she was saying.

“I sort of get that,” he said. “Younger teachers could probably…connect?”

“Exactly! I sometimes think Dumbledore hired his staff based on what amused him at the time instead of who would actually be good! For example, Snape is an absolute garbage teacher and it’s obvious he’d rather be teaching Defense Against the Dark Arts. Why not move him, and let someone more qualified teach potions?”

“It would be nice to have a good DADA teacher. Ari is the only person who has taught me anything this year.”

“Me too. She’d make a really good teacher too if she wasn’t so dead set on being a curse breaker.”

“Ari would be a terrible teacher,” Barnaby replied.

“What? Why?” Rowan said, outraged.

“She doesn’t really…like a lot of people?” Barnaby said, his statement more of a question.

Rowan shook her head. She wasn’t going to ruin what was a nice day out by talking about Ari. She felt like all she ever did was discuss Ari’s life. She was having fun. Barnaby was being fun. She wondered if it was possible to build something with someone you were polar opposites with. Ari and Charlie, Tulip and Penny, they all had so much in common. Barnaby had been bred very carefully, by his pure-blooded parents, to be another brain washed member of the twenty-eight club. Like Tonks, Barnaby was likely supposed to get married his seventh year, take a cushy ministry job, and produce more pure-blooded babies to carry on the Lee tradition.

Yet here he was, a pure cinnamon roll, chattering on animatedly about the chimera Kettleburn had once lost for an entire year.

“I touched it,” he was saying. “It nearly ripped my entire arm off, but it was worth it.”

Rowan couldn’t help it. It was the most ridiculous statement she’d ever heard, and she laughed anyway. Barnaby took her hand and smiled.

 

*

“So, what’s the plan again?” Tulip asked, looking into the Forbidden Forest again.

“We’ll fly in, find the journal, and fly back out. Easy,” Charlie said confidently.

“And if anything happens, you’ll see red stars. Go get help,” Ari added. “But this is the easiest part of opening the vault. The journal hasn’t been touched in almost a year.”

“Should we just run straight to Dumbledore or…?” Ben asked, glancing nervously around.

“Nothing is going to happen. Everything is going to be fine,” Charlie reassured him.

“But definitely get Dumbledore if we’re not back in…twelve hours?” Ari said. “I’m sure that won’t be necessary though.”

“Okay, go,” Rowan said. “The sooner you leave the sooner we can go back through his journal.”

Ari and Charlie climbed on the broom. “See you soon,” she smiled and with a whoosh, they were airborne.

“What are the odds this goes off completely without a hitch?” Andre asked, watching them vanish in the distance.

“Almost zero,” Tulip replied.

 

*

It was a chilly, but clear night. The stars were alive above them, the moon a sliver in front of them. They’d been weaving up and down, dipping into the trees, trying to remember the route they should have memorized from their rudimentary map.

Charlie pulled up when they got close to the spiders and the centaurs. Ari wasn’t keen on reliving those nightmares and judging by how tense he got when they approached, neither was he. She knew the centaurs would see them up here, but as long as they steered clear of them, the centaurs would not bother them.

“Are we close to the dragon?” She asked in his ear. He shrugged in return, his focus on flying them through the forest without crashing into a tree. She was getting nervous. The journal could be buried under leaves or dirt or totally destroyed from the wet weather. Parchment filled journals weren’t really made to last.

Above the trees, she thought she saw something move. “What was that?” She asked, pointing down. Charlie dipped again, and she realized she should have been more specific. She may have inadvertently sent Charlie to their death.

It was nothing. More trees, more leaves, an endless expanse, she thought hopelessly. The came back up, flying placidly against the wind. Everything was so silent, it was unnerving. She was freaking herself out with the possibilities. Shadows kept moving right at the edge of her vision.

“Go back down,” she told him, wanting to see something besides the ghosts in her memory. Even if it was more nothing. He pointed them downward, ducked under the canopy of trees, and there it was, clear as day, as if she’d just dropped it moments ago.

“Charlie!” She said, motioning towards it. She reached for her wand in her back pocket, prepared to force it up into her hand, when a deafening roar nearly knocked her off the broom.

“DRAGON!” She screamed, unsure what else to say. Charlie hovered for a moment, staring with both panic and awe, and then with a “hold on!” Zipped around the blast of fire.

“You have to go back!” Ari screamed, looking behind her at the furious, green scaled beast flapping towards them. How was it both so large and so fast?

“I’m a little busy right now,” He shouted back, taking a turn so fast she had closed her eyes to keep her from throwing up.

“Just swing back, I’ll grab it!” Ari screamed, eyes still screwed shut.

“You have to OPEN YOUR EYES ARI!” He yelled back, having turned his head to glance back.  Her eyes flew open to see them staring straight at the dragon.

“We’re going to die,” she said.

“Not today,” he retorted, taking them into a deep nose dive. “NOW ARI NOW!”

She kept one hand on Charlie, wrapped around his arm, as she leaned down, one eye open, and grabbed the journal with her hand. For one solid moment she felt elated. They’d accomplished what they’d come here for and could go back. Nothing had gone wrong. The next moment she felt a familiar, sickening hook from behind her navel, and the two of them were flying

 

 


	9. Bishops Knife Trick

_I have a feeling inside that I can't domesticate_

_It doesn't want to live in a cage; a feeling that I can't housebreak._

_And I'm yours, until the Earth starts to crumble and the heavens roll away._

_I'm struggling to exist with you_

_And without you._

 

 

She heard a crunch as she landed on hard earth. “Are we dead?” She asked, eyes shut. They’d crashed. Any moment the dragon would descend down on them, charring them before eating them.

“No,” Charlie groaned. “Where are we?”

She opened her eyes. They weren’t in the forbidden forest anymore, but a large clearing that seemed to be overlooking a cliff. The sun was up, cloudy but shining, and she could hear waves crashing in the distance. The smell of salt was in the air. Behind her, an expanse of trees cloaked them.

She sat up. “I don’t know,” she blinked. Jacob’s journal was flung a few yards away from her. She attempted to clamber to her feet, but her leg gave way.

“I think you broke it,” Charlie said. He helped pull her up by her arm and let her brace her body weight against him. There’s was a cottage not far from where they were, pressed right up against the cliff’s edge. She saw smoke coming out of the chimney.

“Someone is inside,” she whispered, hoping slowly.

“Maybe they can help.”

The two of them pulled out their wands all the same, just to be safe. They got to the door and with a quick wave of his wand, the door unlocked.

It was bare inside. A small table with a chair sat in the middle of a dirty, rusty kitchen. A kettle sat in a peeling white skin. A threadbare blanket was thrown over a dingy sofa that was deeply bent in the middle. The fire was roaring but it didn’t help make the place feel homey at all. A bucket was set on the floor besides the door, Ari surmised to help deal with a leak. Everywhere they stepped, the floors creaked forbiddingly.

“We shouldn’t be here,” she said as Charlie helped her into the chair. “We need to go back.”

“Did you know his journal was a portkey?” Charlie asked, looking at a cracked window. She shook her head.

“I would have known if it was before…I’ve been touching it for years.”

“Who could have turned the journal into a portkey?”

She shook her head, looking down at her leg. It looked like it was just her ankle that was broken, judging by the swelling that was happening, and how purple her foot was. All she’d wanted was answers and instead she had, like always, more questions. _Why_ would someone turn the journal into a port key? What was special about this place? It looked dangerous, somehow both well lived in and abandoned at the same time.

“Let’s just grab the journal and go,” she said, standing up on her good leg. “I’ll tell Dumbledore what happened…I’ll…I won’t tell him you were with me.”

Charlie was squinting at something outside the window. He rubbed the dirty glass with the sleeve of his sweater, turned to look at Ari, and then back at the figure. It was a person walking toward them, wand in the air.

“GET DOWN!” He shouted, throwing himself at her. She didn’t have time to question what was happening. Everything blasted apart around them before they even hit the ground.

 

*

“It seems like they’ve been gone for a long time,” Rowan said, pacing the grounds anxiously.

“I think we all knew they were going to run into a couple problems. It’s only been an hour.” Tulip said from her spot on the grass. “There’s time.”

“The worst that could happen is the dragon,” Ben said, bouncing his fist on his knee nervously. “They’ve faced it before and were fine.”

“Barely,” Penny reminded him. “But I agree. Give them more time. I’m sure everything is fine. They’re trying to find a brown journal in the dark.”

“Children.” The all froze at the sound of a recognizable, sneering voice. “What are you doing out of the castle so late at night.”

They all turned to find Snape standing there, robes billowing in the wind. Tonks eyes grew wide, her mouth snapping shut.

“A picnic,” Barnaby said quickly from the blanket he was sitting on with Tulip.

“A midnight picnic by the forest?” Snape asked sarcastically, mentally counting them in his mind. “Where is Young? And Weasley?”

“Those love birds?” Penny laughed nervously. “They could be…anywhere.” Her eyes gave her away, darting back into the forest.

“Come with me.”

 

*

Ari’s ears were ringing, her head throbbing. What had happened. She couldn’t get her vision to focus and her face was wet. She threw an arm out to reach for Charlie but found nothing but air. Her eyes flew open again. She was on the edge of the cliff. One wrong move and she’d go tumbling down to a watery death. Carefully, she rolled herself over and looked around. Debris was all around them and the foundation of the cottage was on fire. Charlie was dangerously close to the blaze, eyes closed, face pale. He looked dead

“Charlie!” She called, dragging herself onto all fours.

“He’s not here. It’s just me and you now.” Ari looked back. Behind her was a living, breathing Jacob Young.

“Jacob,” she said. He looked so different from when she’d seen him last. Like a man, tall and broad, his hair cut punishingly short to against his head. Despite the sea foam green eyes they shared, his looked too dark, empty somehow. Her wand was still clutched in her hand. She tightened her grip around it.

“You’ve been looking for me.”

Carefully, Ari got to her feet, careful not to put any weight on her broken ankle while glancing back at Charlie quickly. Her whole body felt icy cold. “For six years, Jacob,” she said, wiping away the wetness from her face. Blood. “Is this where you’ve been?”

He smiled, taking a step forward. “Some of the time, yeah. I’ve been watching you this year. Trying to be a normal school girl, flirting with the ginger blood traitor-“ she winced at the harshness of his words. “-flitting about with your band of idiotic friends, unaware that your destiny is so much greater than just a petty curse breaker.”

“Destiny?” She asked. “What destiny, Jacob? Come home. I miss you. Nothing has been the same since you left.”

He let out a barking laugh. “Home to what? Our simple parents? That pathetic life I was leading? Ariadne, haven’t you figured it out yet?”

“Figured out what?” She cried against the sound of the ocean, trying to keep from crying. “All I find are more questions but no answers. What happened to you Jacob?”

He smiled and her blood ran cold. Every particle in her body was screaming at her to run. She couldn’t leave Charlie behind and the journal was too far away.

She was going to have to face down her brother.

 

*

“The castle is a big place,” Rowan lied to Professor Sprout. Snape, McGongall, Flitwick and Sprout had them sitting in a classroom, demanding answers. “I don’t keep tabs on Ariadne.”

“That is a bold faced lie and I expected better of you, Ms. Khanna,” Sprout snapped. “I know you all know where they are. They’re not in their bed, they’re not in the castle. Are they in the forest?”

“That would be so dangerous of them,” Penny squeaked when Sprout turned her furious gaze on her. Across the room, Barnaby was staring Snape down with a steely gaze, refusing to break eye contact.

“You will tell me, Mr. Lee, or I will contact your parents.” Barnaby’s lips formed a thin line and his jaw clenched, but his mouth remained closed.

“This is ridiculous!” McGonagall threw her hands up. “I’m going to get the headmaster. Let him expel you all!” Tulip and Andre exchanged a glance and Ben balled up his fists, but no one made another word until Dumbledore floated in, his expression one of extreme disappointment.

“Hagrid has informed me that your friends are not in the forest,” he said softly, watching them all look at each other in fear. “He says the centaurs saw them fly in, but they never came out. This is no longer about loyalty to Ms. Young and Mr. Weasley. This is about their lives. I need you,” he stepped closer to Rowan, his piercing blue eyes laser focused on her, “To tell me where they went.”

“The forest,” Rowan said, wiping a tear away quickly. “She lost her brothers journal in it last year.”

“They should be back by now,” Tonks whispered, looking by the window. Two and a half hours had passed.

“Contact the Youngs and the Weasleys,” Dumbledore told Professor McGonagall and Sprout softly. “Snape…”

Snape flounced out behind Dumbledore, leaving the group alone with Professor Flitwick and the fear that their friends might not be alive.

 

*

Jacob rolled up his sleeve, revealing the dark mark tattoo Ari had been so afraid of seeing. “Jacob…you-know-who is gone. He’s dead.”

“He’s not!” Jacob shouted, yanking his sleeve back down. “He’s alive! Safe…thanks to me! I found him, I know how to bring him back, so he can finish what he started.”

Her nails were digging hard into her palms from gripping her wand so hard. Whoever was standing in front of her was not the brother she remembered.

“You can’t bring someone back from the dead!” She shouted at Jacob. “You’ve lost your mind, opening those vaults! Jacob, come home!”

He whipped his wand before she could counter, sending her flying backwards. She landed with a crunch on broken boards and glass. He raised his wand again but this time she was ready, throwing a shield up before his next curse could land on her. He kept trying, but Ari was ready for him.

“Don’t you have any other tricks, Jacob?” She taunted in true sibling style.

“You don’t understand!” He shouted, stepping towards her. She crawled back, frustrated with her useless foot. “You’ve outgrown that stupid school, those people, the childish romances. We could bring about new world order!”

“At what expense?!” She screamed back, throwing a curse at him. His flipped off his feet, landing hard on his face. It gave her time to scramble up, hopping closer towards Charlie. Jacob stood back up, thumbing his bleeding lip, a grimace on his face. Above them, the sky was darkening; a storm was moving in.

“This isn’t the end, Ariadne,” he said, his voice full of promise. “You will join me…or you will die.”

“Death it is,” she retorted, unable to stop herself. She flung one last curse, but he vanished with a pop, leaving her under a dark sky.

“Charlie!” She screamed, hoping as quickly as she could towards him. She had nearly reached him when a piece of debris sent her tumbling to her hands and knees. Above them, a black bird swooped down as cold dread overtook her. She looked back up. It wasn’t a storm cloud making its way towards them: it was dementors.

 

*

 

Helene and Edward Young stepped onto Hogwarts’ entrance, having been roused out of a dead sleep by their daughter’s Professor. Already waiting inside were two gingers, nervously wringing their hands. Helene was barely containing the fury she felt. Every year was the same song and dance with Ariadne, she thought. Now they were being summoned to pick up their daughter, having finally been expelled for whatever she’d unleashed on the castle. She had told her husband the children would be better off educated in her native Greece, where these sorts of constant dangers did not lurk in every corner. He had been adamant: Hogwarts was good enough for him, and it was good enough for their children.

Except, now one of them was gone and the other expelled.

She recognized Professor Sprout, having met her several times over the previous years to discuss Ariadne’s continued disregard for the rules.

“What has she done now?” Edward asked stiffly. Next to Sprout, McGonagall looked at the Weasleys, her heart miserable at the news she was about to give them.

“This evening,” Sprout began, “Ariadne and Charlie entered the Forbidden Forest- “

Helene threw her hands up in disbelief. Ariadne had been warned last year that if she went back in she’d be expelled. “-looking for a book that belonged to her brother. They’ve been missing for four hours now.”

“Molly, Arthur,” McGonagall cut in quickly. “Dumbledore is scouring the forest looking for them, I am sure- “

“Are you sure?!” Helene suddenly exploded. “I have heard this speech before! ‘Oh, I am certain we will find him, he will turn up!’ Was one of my children not enough for you! How difficult could it be to keep tabs on one little girl!” She screamed, furious. Under her anger was a current of fear that Ari might discover what really happened when Jacob opened the last cursed vault, or worse: that she already knew, and had used that knowledge to open it. The last time Helene and Edward stood here, a body came out of the forest.

“Please, Helene,” Sprout began but Helene cut her off.

“This school should be shut down! Children die here at an alarming rate! Take me to the forest!”

“I don’t think- “

“Take us to the damn forest, Minerva,” Edward cut in sharply. “If Ariadne is dead, we deserve to know.”

*

Ari watched in horror as the dementors descended, sucking as the swooped. She could feel it; the happiness leaving her body and being replaced with empty dread. She crawled over until she was touching Charlie. His body was still warm, his chest moving slowly, up and down. He was alive.

“Charlie,” she cried, “Charlie I need your help, I can’t do this by myself.” Another dementor swooped, taking some of their life with them.

“We aren’t going to die like this, not today,” she cried, tears dripping off her nose. “You promised me we’d be together.” She pointed her wand at his chest, whispering the spell to revive him. She was attempting to use her body to shield him from the dementors, since he had already taken the brunt of the attacks.

He gasped, eyes open, as more dementors swooped. He wasn’t going to be able to help. Blue eyes met green and he smiled, softly. “What happened?” He asked, blinking over and over. She worried he couldn’t see.

“It was Jacob,” she cried, arching hard against the dementors, sucking. “We’re going to die. I don’t know what to do.”

He lifted his head and looked around before letting it fall back to the ground. His freckles were stark against his pale skin.

“Get Jacob’s journal, Ari.”

His journal. Of course. How could she have been so stupid? Body still covering his, she screamed, “ _ACCIO JACOBS JOURNAL!”_ As it sailed towards them, Jacob stepped out of the woods, red eyed, wand raised.

“NO!” He screamed.

The journal hit her hand as a flash of light raced towards them. She felt a jerk, and they were gone.

*

“Are we alive?” Charlie asked, holding Ari against his chest. They had fallen back to earth together, her on top of him, and stayed that way silently, only breathing.

“My head still hurts,” she mumbled, “So we’re probably not dead.”

“Or we’re in hell.” She opened her eyes and looked up. Stars, twinkling in a dark night sky. She didn’t see the moon anymore. She pulled her wand out and sent up red sparks. She didn’t think they could walk.

“I still feel cold,” she told him. Eyes closed, he tried to pull her closer.

“Me too.”

They laid still for another moment. Ari tried to listen for their friends, or any noise that might signal that help was on the way. “Ari…what happened?”

She wiped her face again, this time brushing away tears. She didn’t know when she started crying. “Jacob is dead,” she finally said.

“Did you kill him? “Charlie asked slowly. “Because I think he’s the one who tried to blow us up.”

“He killed himself…long before I ever found him,” she said softly. “There’s nothing left of the brother I remember, just an empty shell.”

“What did he want?”

“He thinks…he thinks he can bring you-know-who back from the dead,” she whispered. “Charlie…before he left I saw eyes…red eyes. What if he has?”

“It’s not possible. He didn’t. You can’t bring someone back from the dead.”

“Did he die, though? Only a baby was there. What if he didn’t die?”

“He did, Ari, your brother is unwell. Broken from one of the cursed vaults and clinging to a delusion.”

Another, more terrifying thought was starting to dawn on Ari as she continued to listen to the silence.

“Charlie…I don’t think anyone is coming for us.”

 

Charlie clambered to his feet, bleeding and bruised but alive and in one, mostly working piece. Next to him, Ari was not doing as well. She had a massive gash across her forehead, her ankle was swollen, her hands and face covered in blood. She looked like she’d just witnessed a massacre. He had no idea how to get them both out of the forest. It was dangerous enough with two working legs and your wits about you. They were both hanging on by a thread. For the first time in his life, he hoped they didn’t run into the dragon. Summoning all the strength he had left, he scooped her up and began walking, his wand pointing him north towards the castle. They had nearly died back there, he realized. He hadn’t been there to help like he should have been, he realized. He wondered if that was Jacob’s intention.

Ari was tough, but she was only sixteen. Too young to be dealing with any of this, with a brother convinced he could bring a maniac back from the dead.

What had she done to get them out of there alive, he wondered, looking down at her body hanging in his arms. Her head was propped up against his chest, eyes half lidded. She said he was dead, and Charlie knew that Jacob had not been there when he woke up. Did she kill him?

 

The walk stretched out, silently, his arms aching. He wanted to set her down under one of the many trees, and sleep. He was stumbling, he knew it. “Charlie?” She murmured, her grip on reality tenuous. “Are you okay?”

He blinked, clearing his vision. It seemed like the trees were less thick. Keep walking, he instructed himself. Get into the clearing.

“Are we out of the woods?” She asked, looking forward.

He stumbled, sending them both tumbling to the ground. “Yeah,” he said, reaching blindly for her hand. He found it and grasped.

The last thing he heard her say, before darkness overtook them both, was “Good.”

 

*

They had seen the red sparks fly into the air. Hagrid had gone in alone unsure of what he’d find. Helene knew that at least one of them had to be alive in order to fire the wand. Next to her, Molly Weasley was crying and clutching her ragged looking husband. Helene watched Edward pace. She stood stock still, waiting for anything. She’d done this once before, in this very spot. Waited for Jacob to come out, or at least his body. Now she waited again, this time for her daughter. It felt wrong to hope it was her child that was alive, instead of the Weasleys, but she did. She swore to all the Gods that she would take Ariadne back to Greece where she would be safe if she walked out of that forest alive.

 

Molly screamed. Arthur and Edward took off running when they saw the boy, stumbling, Ari’s lifelines body in his arms. Helene covered her hand over her mouth and sank to her knees. It was like something out of a horror story, come to life before her eyes. Charlie stumbled and they both fell to the ground. She watched the boy turn his head toward Ariadne, watched him grasp for her hand, and then go silent himself. Molly went running but Helene couldn’t move.

Edward reached Ariadne before Arthur reached Charlie. She watched her husband scoop their daughter up, his face streaked with tears under the rising sun. He put his head to her chest and then started laughing like a maniac.

“She’s alive!” He shouted. “She’s alive!”

Helene whispered a small prayer to the sky above her. Ariadne was alive.

 

*

No one had moved from the classroom all night. They alternated standing at the door, desperate for any news. They didn’t speak, red eyed from lack of sleep and crying. As the sun began to rise, Dumbledore came back in, closing the door softly behind him.

“Ariadne and Charlie are alive,” he began to the relief of this teenagers around them.

“Was it the dragon?” Barnaby asked, speaking for the first time since they’d left the lawn.

“Dragon?” Dumbledore asked, his eyebrows raised. “Is there a dragon in the forest?”

“Albus,” Snape hissed, causing the headmaster to focus.

“I don’t know what happened, though I am sure they will be eager to share once they wake up. Tonight you all showed remarkable foolishness, recklessness, and as well as a fundamental lack of regard for the lives of your friends. You misplaced loyalty for friendship and it nearly cost them their lives. I think one hundred points from each of you, as well as detention, is a rather ill-fitting punishment, but the best I can do under such circumstances. Even I am loath to destroy so much talent because of a youthful mistake.”

He left them feeling shamed with themselves.

“Back to your dorms,” Snape muttered, ushering them out. He swept out ahead of them, leaving them to walk silently back to their beds.

“At least they’re not dead,” Rowan whispered when the three Hufflepuffs were safe in their beds.

“At what cost, though?” Penny wondered.

*

Ari woke with a start. Headmaster Dumbledore was seated at the edge of her bed, flipping through a small book. “Where am I?” she asked dumbly, fully aware of where she was. She was in the hospital wing. The last thing she remembered was Charlie, and grass. “Where’s Charlie?”

“Mr. Weasley is safe, he was discharged this morning with a full bill of health. I expect the same of you.”

She wiggled her foot. No pain.

“Professor, my brother…he said he could resurrect…you-know-who.”

Dumbledore didn’t seem alarmed by her words. “Voldemort is dead.”

“What if he wasn’t, though? What if…?” She let the question hang in the air, her eyes staring at her hands.

“Tell me everything that happened.”

 

“Is it possible?” She asked, finishing her story. She’d told him everything that had happened, as she remembered it, in as close to chronological order as she could. Sometimes she would remember a detail and backtrack. Dumbledore, to his credit, was patient. He didn’t interrupt her or demand answers.

“So many things are,” he said, not really answering her question. “It is worth investigating on my part. You’ve done enough, now, Ariadne.”

“But it’s my brother.”

“I understand how we can feel responsible for the mistakes of our siblings. Jacob chose his own path and you have chosen yours. Do you understand? Whatever sins Jacob may have committed, they do not reflect on you, and you must not carry them with you.”

“All this time I thought I’d find him and bring him home.”

“You did find him. Wherever Jacob is, that’s home for him now. Whatever happens next is out of your control.”

“I want to see my friends,” she whispered. Dumbledore straightened back.

“I’m afraid that’s impossible, Ms. Young.”

“Have I been expelled?” She asked, her stomach sinking.

“Your parents have requested you complete your exams at home. They have let us know you will not be returning for the remainder of this year, or the next.”

“What?!”

“You always have a place here, Ms. Young, if you need it.” He patted her hand and stood up. “I hope, the next time we meet, it is under better circumstances.”

Her parents had come in, her father dragging her trunk behind him. Part of her wanted to scream that she wasn’t leaving. They couldn’t really make her. They’d never been able to make her do anything she didn’t really want to do.

Next to her was a letter, wishing her well. She grabbed it and flipped the parchment over. “Do you have a quill?” She asked Dumbledore. He nodded, pulling one out of his robes.

As her parents approached, she scrawled out a message for Bill. Two words, hopefully enough for him to understand what she was saying.

“Will you please send this to Bill Weasley?” She whispered. A curt jerk of the head told her yes, he would, and her parents wouldn’t know.

It was exactly like them to drag her out of school and try and keep her hidden away. As her father motioned for her to follow him, she thought Jacob was like he was because of the parents they had. They didn’t hold anyone accountable for anything. When things got hard, they ran away and hid.

Ari was done running, and she was done hiding.

 

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So in a lot of theories I've read, Jacob is a good guy and he comes back, usually at the expense of MC's life. When I started writing this, I wanted to fit it in with the larger story, and it didn't really work if Jacob was a good guy. I've been nervous to post this chapter because it really lays it all out there and set's up their seventh year since now they know.   
> Obviously there are still secrets to uncover but this is where we're at right now.


	10. The End of All Things

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This is probably too long, but it felt weird to break it up. 
> 
> If you've read, reviewed, or left kudos, thank you!

 

_In these coming years many things will change_

_But the way I feel will remain the same_

_Lay us down_

_We're in love_

 

 

 

Rowan was frantic, running through the corridors of Hogwarts. She skidded down some steps, nearly falling on her face, stumbled over her feet, but kept going. Pushing several people out of her way, she exploded into the hospital wing.

“Let me see her I need to see her RIGHT NOW!” She screamed, eyes roaming the room. Madame Pomfrey caught her by the shoulders.

“Ms. Khanna I need you to calm down-“

“IS SHE DEAD?!” Rowan couldn’t contain the question anymore. Ari’s things were gone from their dormitory, her bed empty. She wasn’t in any of their classes, at breakfast. No one had seen her. Charlie had refused to talk about what happened in the forest. He couldn’t even say if she’d been alive when they left.

Madame Pomfrey ushered a sobbing Rowan to a bed and drew the curtains. “She’s not dead,” the healer said softly, gathering Rowan into her arms and letting the girl cry. “When I saw her last she was on her way to making a full recovery.”

“Then where IS she?” Rowan cried, face buried in her hands.

“You should talk to Professor Sprout.”

 

Rowan gathered everyone together, eyes bloodshot and swollen from crying. Penny and Tulip held hands tightly while Charlie stared straight ahead, eyes miserably focused on nothing. They walked in a line of two each, ignoring the fact that they should be in class right now. Rowan knocked softly on Sprouts office door.

“I thought I might be seeing you all soon,” Professor Sprout sighed, eyes lingering on Rowan’s face. “Come in.”

They crowded into the office, none of them sitting in the chairs facing Sprouts desk. They weren’t there to make small talk.

“Is Ari dead?” Rowan asked again, her voice hitching in her throat. Madame Pomfrey had said she was alive, but the only reason Ari would leave would be if she was no longer living.

“Ms. Young is alive, she’s well. Her parents withdrew her from the school and requested she had no more contact with anyone in it.”

“She never would have stood for that!” Rowan cried, silencing her friends’ outraged noises. “Ari-“

“Is still a child,” Sprout reminded them all gently. “Who has spent six years chasing down the only brother she ever knew. I won’t pretend to know what happened that night,” her eyes lingered on Charlie’s face for a moment, “But I would urge you all to let her take some space and heal.”

Rowan couldn’t accept it. She stormed out of her head of houses office, furious. “She was forced,” Rowan said the second the door shut behind her. “We need to send her a letter, she can stay with one of us-“

“Rowan,” Charlie said sharply. “You heard Professor Sprout. Let it go.”

He strode off, leaving them all staring at his back.

“Something terrible happened that night,” Penny whispered, watching him walk away. Ben nodded.

“We won’t say anything about it at all, but he’s got a scar on his arm now that wasn’t there before.”

“How could one dragon shake them up so bad?” Andre wondered as they began to move again, directionless this time.

Barnaby shook his head. “It wasn’t a dragon.”

“It was Jacob,” Tulip agreed darkly. “What else would shake Ari up so bad that she’d leave without saying goodbye? If it had just been a dragon, Charlie would tell us.Whatever they found, he won’t tell us because it’s not his secret to tell us.”

“They opened the vault?” Rowan asked, miserable. “They weren’t supposed to.”

“Maybe? Or maybe they found something else?” Tulip suggested.

“Charlie has a scar now,” Ben reminded them. “They were attacked, or at least, fought something off. It had to have been a vault.”

“Here’s what I think,” Tulip said quickly. “I think they got to the notebook and found the door to the vault, unguarded this time and couldn’t resist opening it. Whatever was inside it attacked them, and they found Jacob’s body inside. It’s the only thing that makes sense to me. Ari couldn’t cope so she let her parents take her away so she could forget, or play normal girl again.”

“She won’t be able to run away forever,” Andre said, certain. “She’ll come back.”

“Will she? Her brother is definitely dead. What’s left for her here?” Tonks suddenly spoke up, wiping a tear from her face.

“I’m sending her a letter,” Rowan said firmly. “Sprout and Charlie be damned.”

 

*

There were tiny islands that dotted the cost of Greece. All of them were beautiful, but the one her parents had brought her to was, in Ari’s opinion, the most beautiful of them all. White stone houses with brilliant blue roofs dotted the hillside. A perfect, untouched beach rested against the clearest, bluest water anywhere in the Mediterranean. Her mother had taken her to Athens to see her new school.

“This is the birthplace of Western civilization,” Helene had breathed to her daughter. “This school is older than Hogwarts by several centuries.” Ari didn’t care about a new school and she didn’t care about the history that surrounded her. She was tired about hearing about the myths and legends of old. Those people were dead now, and real life was unfolding in front of her. She didn’t want to live in some sheltered, ancient past.

She butted heads with her parents constantly. They knew containing Ari was a pipe dream, but they continued to live in their fantasy, even knowing she took off to Naxos every day. They were on a different island, one only wizards and witches lived on and was hidden from the muggle world. The water wasn’t cursed this time, but it might as well have been. The entire place was cursed for Ari. She wanted to be with her friends, planning for their seventh year and how they would bring Jacob back.

She had written to Bill but either he hadn’t gotten the note, or he was having trouble deciphering it. She thought for sure he’d write to Rowan, who would know the meaning immediately.

It was also possible that Dumbledore never sent it. She tried to shove that worry deep down. She needed Bill in order for her plan to work.

She came crashing down the stairs in a toga style dress, the same kind everyone around her wore. It was like everyone saw ancient Greece fashion and thought, ‘this is perfect, never change it’ and never did. A lot of times Ari thought that one person stepping on a hem would bring an entire outfit crashing down. She had opted for a more modern version that had buttons on the back to prevent this, and her dresses always had long slits up the side. In her opinion, it let more air in which was bonus. In her mother’s opinion, it would help her find a man.

She already had one.   
“Back to Naxos?” Her father asked as she walked pass the kitchen. He still dressed like a British wizard, at least.

“Yep,” she responded.

“Why don’t you stay here with your mother- “

“Why don’t you tell me why Jacob was expelled?” Ari whipped around, her hair slapping her in the face. It was a common argument. She’d made it impossible for them to talk to her because she refused to let it go. They’d tell her.

Her father slammed his glass down on the counter. “Not this again, Ariadne.”

She shrugged and turned back to walk out the front door.

“You can’t just keep walking away,” he told her, his voice rising.

“Why not?” She challenged. “Isn’t that the Young family motto? Let’s embroider it on the family crest. In Greek, of course, since that’s the identity we’re choosing to embody this month.”

“Ariadne,” her mother, from their kitchen table, put her head in her hand. “It’s too early for this.”

“You know what it’s too early for?” Ari wasn’t really asking. “A sixteen-year-old staring down the end of her older brothers wand while he tries to kill her. Being sixteen, trapped on an island in the middle of nowhere with parents who are comfortable letting their homicidal son run around Britain while they treat their daughter like a criminal! I deserve to know what he did!”

“He killed someone!” Her father exploded as a glass shattered next to him on the counter. Both hands were over her mother’s face.

“He what?” Ari blinked.

“It was an accident,” Helene said as Edward scoffed behind her.

“An accident give me a break Helene. He lured that girl into the forest and we both know it! An accident would have had a body, at least.”

“Who did he kill?” Ari asked again.

“No one,” her mother stood up, looking like pure fury. “We swore we would never speak of this to Ariadne.”

“She’s found him, Helene. Do you want to lose two children?”

“Ariadne is perfectly safe here!”

“I’m not staying here, and we all know it,” Ari informed them tonelessly. She was desperate. Jacob had killed someone? How could no one have told her that? Professor Sprout had said she didn’t know what had caused Jacob to be expelled, that was a lie. Why was everyone keeping it a secret from her?

“You’re not going anywhere, young lady,” her father said as he rummaged through a kitchen drawer. He pulled out a weathered photograph and, amidst protests from his wife, shoved it at Ari.

“First yeah, a Hufflepuff. Her name was Anna.”

She stared down at the photo, cold dread settling into her blood. She could have been looking at herself, in sepia tones. The little girl waved at her, a bright smile on her face. Freckles dotted her nose. Obvious red hair, light eyes.

“A surrogate,” her father’s strangled voice broke Ari out of her trance. She looked up to see the ginger man looking truly haunted. “He’d been trying to kill you for years.”

“EDWARD!” Helene screamed as more dishware shattered. Ari blinked.

“How could you keep this from me?” She whispered, looking at her parents accusatorily. “I’ve been looking for him for years, why wouldn’t you tell me who he was?”

“We never thought you’d find him. We’ve had trackers looking for him for years. When you went missing…”

“You aren’t going back to that school,” her mother finished, flatly. “One child was enough.”

“Jacob thinks he can bring back Voldemort. Do you understand that? What that would mean for so many people? Don’t you think we have a responsibility to stop him?”

“Jacob is unwell- “

“What if he’s not?!” Ari demanded. “What if he’s in his right mind? Don’t we at least owe Anna here?!” She demanded, thrusting the photo towards her father. He didn’t take it.

“Jacob isn’t our responsibility.” Helene’s voice was still flat.

Ari scoffed. “Wow. Jacob is our responsibility, and if you don’t want to make him a priority, that’s fine. I can’t walk away.”

“He’ll kill you,” Helene said as Ari reached for the door.

“He could try,” she responded, not turning around. Maybe Jacob could have when she was a little, defenseless girl. Ari wasn’t that girl anymore.

When they met again, Ari would be his perfect match. The sister he never wanted, well he got her anyway.

 

*

Bill strolled into Naxos, heading for the outskirts of town. He’d been away, searching for a particularly rare, and cursed, object and consequently hadn’t been getting his mail. It had taken six seconds in a library to decode Ari’s message. She was not subtle, though he wondered why she had only written _“Thesesus. Naxos.”_ It would have been easier for her to just tell him to meet her on a hillside in Naxos. He had enjoyed reading up on mythological Ariadne though. He knew her parents had named her after that story. Supposedly they were related, distantly.

She was sitting on a hillside, her hair fluttering in the wind. Her back was turned to him as she gazed out at the horizon. He sat in the grass next to her, aware he was dressed very poorly for the Mediterranean climate. He’d heard it was warm here, Egypt was warm, and his pants had never bothered him there. It was a different kind of warm. He wiped sweat off his face as she said, “Finally.”

“I was gone, I got your letter this morning,” he told her, leaning back onto his elbows to look out. “Why all the secrecy?”

“I didn’t have a lot of time.” She told him, apologetically. “I’m being held hostage here.”

“It could be worse,” he said, looking at the lush, beautiful surroundings.

“My parents are threatening to keep me here all year. My mom wants me to switch schools, to give up my curse breaking ambitions and find a nice Greek wizard to marry.”

“You’ll break my brother’s heart if you do that. And mine. We’re supposed to be a curse breaking team, a brother-sister duo, taking the world by storm. Weasley and Weasley, the most attractive and successful curse breaking team in the world. No one can outfox us; no curse can stop us.”

“You’re making a lot of assumptions there,” she said dryly, interrupting his daydream. “But I like how you made us attractive before successful.”

“To say it the other way around would have been a terrible a lie. An injustice, even.”

She smiled, which was what he had been going for. He knew things were bad, he’d read the letters from Rowan and Charlie. Charlie had written him a full account of everything that had happened from his perspective and Bill was interested in what happened in between his brother’s consciousness, but now wasn’t the time to pry into that. She was still just a girl. Forced to shoulder the sins of her brother her entire life and any time she was smiling was a win as far as he was concerned. They’d been in this together from the beginning, and he considered her another sister who could use a brother who loved her. He was more than willing to step up and be that for her. He had a lot of experience being a reliable brother.

“I need your help,” she told him, smile fading again. He nodded.

“Name it, Ari. You know you don’t have to ask.”

“Can you take me to Diagon Alley? I still have my trace on me. I’m going to get a room until it’s time to go back, and I don’t want my parents to find me.”

He shook his head no. He wasn’t going to leave her alone in Diagon Alley. It wasn’t unsafe, but she had no business being alone for the next three months. She looked crushed, and he quickly said, “Stay with me, instead. I’ll take you on my curse breaking adventures and I’ll be able to keep an eye on you, which is a win win.”

“I don’t need you to keep an eye on me,” she said. He disagreed. Had anyone really ever looked after her? Her parents kept her at an arms distance, her brother vanished with no word and he knew she often felt alone and abandoned.

“Of course, you do.” He stood up, brushing the grass off his pants and offering her his hand. “I would be a terrible future brother and an even worse friend if I didn’t try.”

She squinted up at him for a second. “You’re awfully sure of yourself.”

“Have you seen me?” He teased, gesturing up and down at his body. She chuckled again. “C’mon. Egypt is nice, and I’ll bet you get to see one mummy before the summer’s over. What’s Diagon Alley got that I don’t?”

“Ice cream?” She asked, but she took his hand anyway. He jerked her up, hard, pulling her into a hug. She hugged him back, arms wrapped around his waist tightly. He breathed into her hair, grateful she was okay and unharmed.

“I can get you some ice cream, Ari.”

He squeezed his eyes shut, still hugging her. The air compressed around them, warping and then they were standing on his hardwood floor. She stepped out of his hug.

“I’ll need my things.”

“I know.”

*

Bill’s place was small, which made sense as he was just one man who didn’t require that much space. The living room she stood in had a nice fireplace, it’s mantle decorated with photographs and a small cactus in a pot. She thought it looked thirsty and vowed to water it for him when she got a moment.

Two large, squashy chairs sat in the middle of the room around a nice, black stained coffee table. On the other side of the table, a large, white couch with fat, fluffy pillows practically begged her to sit down. An entire wall was lined with bookshelves, who themselves were filled with books arranged by the color of their spines.

A tiny kitchen with a little, wooden table in the middle of it, displayed all his pots and pans, hanging over a clean stove.  Beyond that she could see a tiny hallway, and two doors. A bathroom, she assumed, and a bedroom.

“You’ll sleep in my room, and I’ll take the couch,” he told her, leading her down the hall and opening his door.

“I can’t take your room,” she said with mild outrage, even though she knew she could and she would. “I can sleep on the couch.”

Bill rolled his eyes. “Are we going to do this? Can we fast forward through the argument to where you finally agree, after I swear for the sixth time that it’s completely fine, and at least half of the time I fall asleep reading on my couch anyway.”

She peered into the room. A large bed sat in between two side tables. A window was closed, and covered by a dark blue curtain, the same color blue that blanketed his bed. Across the room, a wardrobe stood, presumably holding his clothes, and more books were shelved on the walls. She turned back to Bill.

“This whole place is so…you.”

He laughed. “Well, I did decorate it, but thanks.” They walked back out to the living room and Ari went to the kitchen for a cup of water so she could give his little plant a drink.

“I’ve been neglecting that,” he admitted, watching her pour water slowly into the pot.

“Cactus’s can live a long time without water,” she told him, “But you should still water them occasionally.”

“Well, it’ll be well watered while you’re here at the very least,” he promised, sitting on the couch. She began looking at the photos on his mantle. Him and his family in what must have been a graduation photo. Him and Charlie, arms slung around each other’s shoulders as freckly little boys. Another of him and Charlie, in sweaters with B’s and C’s on them, smiling at her. She paused at the last one. It was her and him, from his last year at Hogwarts right after he’d finished taking his N.E.W.T.s. She’d taken him to Hogsmeade for cupcakes and she remembered the picture being snapped. They held the small cake in their hands, sitting across a table from one another, smiling brightly up at the camera.

“How did you get this?” She asked him, blinking.

“I asked Madame Rosmerta for it,” he responded brightly.

“You included me with your family.” She felt so emotional in that moment. To her, Bill was family, but he had a family already. He didn’t need to include her. He was already wanted.

“Ari, you’ve always been family to me. I thought you knew that?” He patted the couch and she came and sat next to him, putting her head on his shoulder.

“It’s different to actually see it, I guess,” she murmured.

“I can’t pretend I know what it was like for you, growing up,” he began, hands in his lap. “But to me, you’ve always been another little sister that I can boss around. Unlike my siblings, who I love, I’ve always seen a lot of myself in you.”

“I got in a lot more trouble than you,” she reminded him. He smiled.

“Well, that’s just an inherited Weasley trait. We’re rather good at finding trouble, after all. You’ve met Fred and George.”

She nodded.

“Do you want to talk about what happened?” He asked.

Ari sighed. She did. She could practice by telling Bill, the most understanding human being on the planet.

*

 

 

*

“Can you believe our parents sanctioned this trip?” Tulip asked, looking up at Bill’s apartment building.

“My parents kicked me out,” Barnaby reminded them, his bag slung across his chest.

“Oh please, we all know you’re just another Weasley and Mrs. Weasley let you go,” Tulip continued.

“Of course, she did. Bill is the epitome of responsibility and I’m pretty sure her favorite son,” Charlie said, also looking up. They couldn’t get in without a key, so they were waiting on Bill to come down.

“I think we all needed a little uncursed adventure before school starts…but my mom did feel better knowing Bill would be supervising us all,” Tonks said, smiling brightly.

“Sometimes I think I’m the only one with normal parents,” Andre commented from the back of the group, Penny standing next to him in long, blonde French braids.

A crack interrupted their conversation and Ari and Bill appeared. Bill’s usual low ponytail was disheveled, his face smudged with dirt and a hole was slashed across his shirt. In his hands was an object wrapped in white fabric. Next to him, Ari’s face was just as dirty, her hair standing in strange directions. One of the sleeves on her dress was ripped and hanging down her shoulder and she was holding what looked like a skeletal human leg bone. She was laughing so hard she had to put a hand on her knee to catch her breath.

“It wasn’t funny, Ari. There were so many bones,” Bill frowned next to her, both of them unaware of their friends standing behind them.

“Your face,” she choked out. “So much for Weasley and Weasley: Attractive and Successful Curse Breaking Extraordinaires.”

“Speak for yourself. I was attractive the entire time,” Bill teased, theatrically brushing his messy hair off his face. It sent her into a new peal of laughter. The group behind them exchanged glances, unsure if they should say anything.

“You screamed so loud, an entire skeleton just fell apart,” she wheezed. “I almost died, I swear it Bill.”

“What about you, swinging that bone around like some kind cave woman?”

“I can’t do magic, I had to improvise.”

Rowan cleared her throat, unable to stand it anymore and both Bill and Ari turned around.

“You guys are early,” Bill said immediately.

“We’re exactly on time,” Penny told him. “Exactly. You two are late.”

“We got distracted,” Ari offered as an apology. Rowan crossed over and gave her best friend a hug.

“I’m so glad you’re okay,” Rowan said, ignoring the human bone at their feet. Ari hugged her back, squeezing her eyes shut. Tonks and Penny joined the hug, followed by Andre and Ben, and then a very begrudging Tulip, who complained that she didn’t hug. She opened her eyes to see Charlie standing there next to his brother, the two of them exchanging words softly. Their eyes met and her breath caught in her throat. She wished she didn’t look so ridiculous suddenly. Bill had promised getting the amphora would only take a minute, and instead it had taken them an entire day and a battle with undead skeletons. Not that she regretted any of it, she’d had the best time.

“Why don’t you all come inside,” Bill suggested as the hug broke apart. “We can make some pizzas.”

“I want to play a game,” Tulip said as she followed everyone. Rowan was the last to go, smiling at Ari before disappearing into the building, leaving Charlie and Ari alone outside.

She took a breath, unsure of what to say. She’d been picturing this moment in her mind for a long time but now that it was actually happening, all her planned speeches vanished from her mind.

Charlie walked over to her, purposeful, his face determined, grabbed her face, and put his lips against hers. She was so relieved, this was easier than talking, she thought, before realizing she should kiss him back. He tangled a hand in her hair as her arms curled around his neck.

His mouth was soft and warm and better than she’d imagined, and she’d spent the last year daydreaming about what it would be like to be actually kissing him. Now that they were, and she could actually taste him, she felt stupid. Why had they been waiting, like idiots, when they could have been kissing? If she could go back in time she would have, just so she could have slapped them both.

He broke the kiss to rest his forehead against hers. “I love you,” he told her softly, breathing into her face. How was it possible for him to smell so good, like freshly cut grass and honesuckle?

“I love you, too,” she said, her voice getting lost on the wind. He kissed her again as voices above them began speaking loudly.

“PAY UP LOSERS!”

“I know you cheated, I just don’t know how.”

“I told you not to let Rowan in on the bet.”

“Aw guys be nice, at least they’re not pretending anymore.”

“Let them pretend if it means I get to hold on to my money.”

Charlie and Ari looked up to see their friends’ heads poking out of a window.

“DO YOU MIND?!” Ari shouted. “WE’RE TRYING TO HAVE A MOMENT HERE!”

“I promised mum I wouldn’t leave you two alone, so…” Bill shouted back, offering them both a wink.

“What did you mean by Weasley and Weasley?” Charlie asked her quickly, the thought popping back in his head at the sight of Bill’s face. Ari took his hand and unlocked the door to the building.  
“Bill wants us to be a curse breaking duo when I graduate. It’s sort of a joke, based on something he said to me before I moved in. We’ve been calling it, “Weasley and Weasley: Attractive and Successful Curse Breakers”, or sometimes “Curse Breaking Extraordinaires. We’ll travel the globe uncursing artefacts while being incredibly good looking. It’s his idea but it has grown on me.”

“No, I understand the premise,” Charlie told her, following her up the wooden stairs. “But your last name is Young. Shouldn’t it be Young and Weasley?”

“Well,” she responded. “Bill said we’d be a brother-sister duo…” she realized what she was saying to Charlie. She’d realized, when he first suggested the name on Naxos, what he was implying, but they’d been having so much fun together, using the made-up name and being silly together that she’d put it out of her mind.

Charlie knew what it meant, too. He didn’t look embarrassed or upset, just nonchalant. “No big deal, Ari. If you want my last name you can have it.”

She stopped on the stairs as he continued to jog up. They’d just solidified their relationship, and it should have felt too early to be thinking about taking his last name, but it filled her with warmth all the same.

Charlie was offering her more than just his name. He was offering her his family. To her, that was everything.

 

*

“Okay so how does this game work again?” Bill asked skeptically.

“So, everyone has a fictional date they want to set you up on. We’ll tell you two really amazing things and then one red flag, and then you have to pick which date you want to go on.”

“Why I do I feel like this is going to be a disaster?” Bill asked.

“Because it’s going to be, but my date is amazing so don’t worry,” Ari told him from her spot on the floor next to Charlie. Rowan, Penny, and Tonks were sitting on the couch behind them. Across from the black stained coffee table sat Bill in a squashy arm chair and Ben in the other matching one. Andre, Barnaby, and Tulip were sitting on the floor across from Charlie and Air, their legs crossed under the coffee table.

“You’ve been single for a long time,” Rowan said.

“We’re starting to worry,” Charlie added. “It’s not like you’re getting any younger.”

Bill put a hand over his heart in mock hurt. “Are you accusing me of being a spinster?”

“Just…keep your options open,” Tonks said, frowning down at her cards.

“Give me what you’ve got.”

“Alright,” Barnaby offered. “She’s the most beautiful woman you’ve ever seen, and she donates millions of galleons to your favorite charities.”

“Be still my heart,” Bill smiled, lounging in his chair.

“But she’s only wears clothes made out of human hair. That’s not so bad, when you think about it.”

“That’s awful!” Ari spoke up, laying her own cards down. “My girl has apartments in all your favorite cities AND likes all the same things you like. Just one small thing, barely noticeable, she looks and smells EXACTLY like your father.”

“Deal breaker,” Charlie laughed from beside. “Besides, it takes a Weasley to know a Weasley. My girl is as intelligent as you are AND the most beautiful woman in the world, so not just that you’ve seen, but other men want her, too. And the only downside is she’s French!”

“What, it does not say that?” Tulip said, snatching the card out of Charlie’s hand as Bill roared with laughter from behind her. “How is that a deal breaker?”

“You cheated somehow, that is not a deal breaker,” Tonks agreed.

“It’s much better than clothes made of human hair.” Barnaby agreed.

“I still think I’ve got a winner,” Ari said with pretend seriousness.

“Well of course you do, you’re basically dating his dad!” Tulip rolled her eyes, tossing the card back at Charlie.

“Hey, I think I look much more like my mom than my dad. You’re dating my mom,” he reassured Ari.

“Stop saying I’m dating your parents, I’m not,” Ari told him.

“So, are you two officially, actually dating?” Tulip asked. “Or are you going to drag it out long enough that I can still win the bet?”

“Who won?” Ari asked, the old sting of the bet gone.

“Rowan,” Tonks grumbled. Barnaby rolled his eyes as Rowan put her hands under chin and smiled at the room.  
“I can’t believe you guys took bets on my brothers love life,” Bill said, sounding outraged.

“THANK YOU!” Charlie and Ari said in unison.

“And didn’t include me,” Bill continued. “I would have won. I sent Charlie those dance robes last year, I could have nudged him in the right direction.”

Charlie exchanged a glance with Ari but neither of them said anything about their after-dance confession. No one needed to know about that but them.

“Yeah, you would have cheated, just like Rowan did,” Tulip complained as the room began handing money over to Rowan. Ari was surprised by the amount of money exchanging hands.

“You guys bet A LOT of money.”

“It got out of hand,” Andre admitted.

Rowan bagged up all the money, looking pleased.

“What are you going to do with it?” Penny asked her. Rowan seemed to consider for a moment and then tossed the bag over to Charlie, who caught it easily.

“Consider it an apology from all of us,” she said. “Because we are sorry.”

“Sorry that we lost,” Tulip said under her breath. Ari shot her a look. “And sorry that we went behind your back, too!”

Charlie offered the room an easy smile. “I don’t want your money- “

“Boo!” They all jeered at him.

“Take the money!” Rowan demanded.

“Take it!” Ben added, until the entire room was chanting. Charlie rolled his eyes, pocketing the money. Ari rested her head on his shoulder for a second, basking in the comfort of her friends. She’d missed the easy dynamic of all of them together, and how comfortable she was when they were all together. She’d been worrying that maybe she was just like her brother, but as she sat in this room, she felt loved and she knew that when she finally explained everything, they would have her back. She wouldn’t have to face Jacob alone again.

 

*

 

Ari had finished telling the room everything that had happened, both in the forest and when she’d gotten home, when Hogwarts letters came flying in. “It’s creepy how Dumbledore always knows exactly where we are,” Ben said, taking his letter. Charlie ripped his open first, revealing a shiny, silver badge. “Head Boy!” He exclaimed with surprise. Everyone stopped what they were doing to congratulate him, passing the badge around.

“I didn’t think I had a shot after what happened last year,” Charlie said, taking it back.

“Maybe he’s hoping you’ll reign us all in?” Tonks suggested.

“Or a specific person in,” Tulip added, looking pointedly at Ari.

“Open your letter, Ari,” Rowan said quickly, ignoring her own. Ari used a finger to slice the envelope open and out came a matching badge along with two letters. She looked down at the badge, horrified.

“Rowan,” she said, but her best friend was staring at her with a huge smile.

“I wrote to Dumbledore and told him he should make you Head Girl,” Rowan explained. “I sort of thought it might convince your parents to let you come back.”

“Awfully presumptuous to assume you’d be Head Girl, it could have been any of us,” Tulip said, gesturing around at the five of him.

“So true,” Ben agreed. “I was really sure I had it in the bag.”

“Oh please,” Penny rolled her eyes. “Rowan loves rules, we all knew she’d get it.”

Ari opened her letters, a school supply list and a handwritten letter from Dumbledore.

 

_Ariadne Young-_

_I imagine you’re confused right about now, looking at your Head Girl badge. I admit it was not an obvious choice, but when Ms. Khanna wrote to me suggesting you would make an excellent Head Girl, I found merit in the idea._

_Despite your rule breaking throughout the years, you have shown exemplary kindness, courage, wisdom, and cunning in your interactions with those around you. You have demonstrated a willingness to do what is right, even when it is difficult and have brought together a group of students from different backgrounds and houses. That was the original goal of the Hogwarts founders and I am personally convinced that Helga Hufflepuff had students like you in mind when she put her house together._

_You embody true Hufflepuff values, and Hogwarts has always been luck to have you here. I know you will not let me, or the school, down when you arrive as Head Girl._

_-Dumbledore_

She blinked back the tears that were threatening to spill out of her eyes. “You okay?” Charlie asked, bumping her with his shoulder. He was reading his own letter from Dumbledore, a smile on his lips.

“He said I embodied true Hufflepuff values,” she told them. Penny and Tonks made “aww” noises at the words.

“He’s right,” Rowan said firmly.

“You shouldn’t have done that. You would have been a much better Head Girl,” Ari told her, giving her a massive hug.

“I don’t think I could have handled the responsibilities. I want perfect N.E.W.T.s and I can’t study if I’m chasing down rule breakers.”

“Like Ariadne Young. Have you met that girl? Always unleashing ancient curses on the castle?” Tonks joked.

“Someone should give her detention,” Tulip agreed.

“I thought you needed to be a prefect to be Head Girl?” Barnaby asked. Rowan shook her head.

“You actually don’t,” Rowan responded, evidently pleased with herself for knowing this. “I looked it up, and there have been lots of incidences where someone was made Head Boy or Girl without every having been a prefect.”

“Are you sure I should be one, though?” Ari asked, her fears bubbling to the surface. “I plan to break every school rule this year, isn’t that kind of…bad, for the Head Girl?”

“Being Head Girl will give you an advantage. Think about it. Caught out of bed past ten? Just doing your Head Girl duties. Wandering down by the forest? Looking for errant Hufflepuffs trying to sneak in- “

“Yeah, looking for herself,” Tonks cut it smoothly. Rowan glared.

“My point is, this is going to help you find Jacob and get into the vault. You’re basically a junior teacher- “

“Gross,” Tulip muttered.

“AND the rules only semi-apply to you.”

“All that really matters,” Tonks interrupted Rowan again, “Is that you continue to let me use the prefect’s bathroom.”

“So true,” Penny agreed. “I’ve grown accustomed to bathing with a literal mountain of bubbles and I will not go back to tiny, stand up showers.”

“You were letting them use the prefect’s bathroom?!” Ari and Tulip said in unison, twin looks of outrage on their faces.

“They asked,” Rowan said helplessly as she opened her own letter and revealed her prefect badge. She smiled at the sight of it, pinning it to her shirt.

“You could have offered!” Tulip continued.

“What I’m hearing here, is that the girls are offering much better friendship perks,” Ben said pointedly, looking directly at Charlie.

He shrugged. “I don’t want to have to share the bathroom. I too like to take a bath with a mountain of bubbles. Keeps my skin soft.”

Bill, who was sitting in the living room sipping a cup of tea, perked up when Charlie spoke. “Head Boy and Girl get their own private bathroom.”

“That they share?” Ben asked, an eyebrow raised.

“Separate, obviously, but if you think the bubbles are good now…”

“I’m so upset I’ve been living six, bubble-less years while my BEST FRIEND just hands the password out to any Hufflepuff with a dream.”

“They also need a song in their heart,” Rowan shot back. Andre and Barnaby had revealed their prefects badges as well, unchanged for the last two years.

“Imagine being betrayed by the love of your LIFE,” Tulip said to Ari, linking arms with her.

Ari shook her head. “I can’t, it’s too terrible to imagine.”

*

It probably didn’t count as a date if your friends were all sitting three tables away, making loud, speculative comments about what was happening on the date, but Ari was counting it anyway. Bill had taken them all out for ice cream and Ari and Charlie had branched off, like Tulip and Penny often did. It was as close to alone as they could get, given the circumstances. Bill took his role as older brother seriously, and instead of looking the other way, had practically put a tracker on Ari. If she shut the bathroom door he was knocking moments later to ensure she was alone.

She was doing a good job of ignoring them, to her credit.

“Okay, okay,” Ari put her hand up, laughing as Charlie recounted one of Fred and Georges pranks in the house. “Stop or I’ll die, I swear it.”

“You have to admit, they’re kind of geniuses,” he said with appreciation.

“Everyone in your family is.”

He shook his head. “Technically, Bill is the only genius. He got twelve N.E.W.T.s, you know. He could have done literally anything when he graduated but he can’t resist the call to adventure. Man, I remember going to Hogwarts terrified of living in his shadow.”

“Oh yeah?” She smiled, spooning ice cream into her mouth. “I know that feeling, kind of.”

“You didn’t seem very nervous as a first year,” he responded. “As I recall, you began breaking the rules almost immediately.”

“Look, it’s healthy to keep Professor Sprout on her toes like I do. She had gotten complacent. Also, what did you know about me as a first year?”

He got a dreamy look on his face. “You were standing in front of me in line, remember?”

“No, I barely remember being sorted at all,” she admitted.

“I came to Hogwarts with two goals: learn everything I possibly could about dragons and be as good as Bill. Then you walked over with the prettiest, green eyes I’d ever seen and you smiled at me, and I suddenly had a third goal.”

She raised her eyebrows. “What was that?”

“Figure out your name. Which, in retrospect, was a bad goal. I should have aimed a little higher, like get her to talk to me. It would have been easier if you hadn’t been sorted into Hufflepuff.”

“I am a natural Hufflepuff,” she complained.

“Yeah I saw all the house plants in Bills apartment, he will definitely kill those when you leave.”

“I’ll write him out detailed instructions,” she waved her hand impatiently. “And you could have talked to me at any point before our fourth year.”

He shook his head, his cheeks reddening. “I was…a little afraid you liked Bill.”

Ari choked. Like Bill? She opened her mouth to tell him that was ridiculous, but a memory flashed in her mind. Rowan, asking her what was going on with Bill, a hint of jealousy in her voice. Penny, mentioning casually that a couple people thought they saw her and Bill kissing on the quidditch pitch (as if they’d ever hide there, Ari had thought with an eye roll. Her and Bill were book nerds without a sporty bone in their bodies). Tonks outright asking Bill if he was going to ask Ari to the Christmas dance, and Bill’s embarrassed face. It had been a popular theory for a long time.

If it had ever been like that for Bill, he’d never said anything. Ari, eleven years old and desperate for an older brother, had transferred all those feelings onto Bill and it made him immediately nonsexual to her. She could remember several times where Bill had confided that he liked this girl or that, even once asking her to chat up an insufferable Gryffindor. Emily something.

She looked back at Charlie and his red cheeks and suddenly felt so bad. How had she not noticed him for so long?

“I never liked Bill,” she told him. “Outside of a friend, anyway, and I don’t think Bill ever liked me either.”

Charlie looked down at the iron-wrought table. “Everyone likes Bill, I’m not mad about it. I don’t blame anyone for liking Bill as much as they do. He’s really, really cool.”

“He’s a giant nerd,” Ari countered, looking at the handsome ginger sitting across from her. How could he not see how much he outshined Bill? “You saw me when you were eleven, and I was eleven. What’s cuter to an eleven-year-old than another one? You know who doesn’t think an eleven-year-old is cute? A thirteen-year-old boy.”

Charlie smiled, still not making eye contact. He was being so vulnerable, she needed to be vulnerable too. “Do you remember last Halloween? I climbed into bed with you, and you weren’t wearing a shirt?”

He nodded, finally looking up.

“Ben pulled the curtain back that morning and I almost died,” she told him, chuckling at the memory. “I thought you had a nice face, and obviously you were one of my best friends but that was the first time anyone had ever made my mouth dry or my knees weak. I had to get out of your bed to keep myself from touching you.”

He was laughing, cheeks still tinted red. He ran a hand through his hair, scratching the back of his neck. “How did you know? That you…ah…loved me, I mean?”

She paused again. It hadn’t been any one moment, for her, but a collection of little moments, building on the last until she couldn’t deny what had been staring her in the face.

“I guess…when I look back on it…and I didn’t know it at the time, but when we were standing in front of that dragon and you were so enchanted. I dropped Jacob’s journal, and I was obsessed with it. I looked over it every single night and had been since my third year. It was the only thing I had of his and it made me feel closer to him, even if I couldn’t decipher it at all. But I dropped it, without a thought, because I was afraid that I’d lose you. I needed both hands to pull you back, and I made an unconscious choice.”

He looked dazed, like she’d just told him the winning lotto numbers. This conversation had gone so off the rails and she couldn’t stop it. Maybe it was good, to get it all out there, and start with this foundation.

“Well, I always liked you,” he said, their eyes locked. “But fourth year, when you started letting me tag along, we went into the forbidden forest for the first time together.”

“I remember so well. Bill told me no one knew it better than you.”

“A lie. Wow, he really did me a favor. I’d only been in it like, twice. He told me you wanted me to come along.”

She glanced over at Bill, sitting with their friends, laughing easy about something Tonks was saying. He always said Charlie was his best friend. He must have known, she thought, and decided to do something about it. She vowed to send him something nice for Christmas as a thank you.

“Anyway, it was when you took me and Barnaby to the Red Cap’s hole. Barnaby had just asked you if it was possible the Red Cap was misunderstood and then it popped out, and he screamed really loudly.”

She giggled at the memory. It had been so high pitched. “Yeah, okay, keep going.”

“Well you threw that shield charm up so quick and then Penny’s potion and as the Red Cap ran off, horrified, you turned around and I knew it when I looked into your eyes. You weren’t just a cute girl, you were more than that.  
 He shrugged. Ari scooted her chair loudly until she was right next to Charlie.

“You’ve got something on your face,” she told him softly, reaching her hand up as if she was going to wipe something away. It was a flimsy, cheesy excuse, but she didn’t care. His eyes were huge, blue oceans and she was drowning. She kissed him, hand brushing down his face to rest on his shoulder. He kissed her back immediately, with passion, his hand tangling into her hair at the base of her neck. For a moment, she forgot about everything going on, their surroundings, her own name.

Another chair scraping loudly brought her back to reality and she broke the kiss, looking up at him. His eyes were still closed, and his hand was still touching her neck.

“Oh,” she murmured against his lips. “Just me.”

“You two,” Bill said loudly, making them both jump. “Are going to get me in trouble with mum. No touching, and actually,” he grabbed the back of Ari’s chair, pulling her away from Charlie. “Let’s keep an arm’s distance between the two of you.”

“You’re the worst,” she grumbled, her stomach fluttering. He grinned, scooping out some of Ari’s ice-cream into his mouth.  
“You wanted a brother.”

 


	11. The Pretender

_Keep you in the dark you know they all pretend_

_Keep you in the dark and so it all begins_

_Send in your skeletons, sing as their bones go marching in, again_

_The need you buried deep, the secrets that you keep are ever ready_

_Are you ready?_

 

 

Bill dropped them all off safely at his parent’s doorstep and took off before his mother could see him. “She doesn’t like the fang earring. Or my hair.”

“She loves you,” Ari told him, hugging him all the same. “Thanks for letting me crash with you this summer.”

He grinned. “Let’s make it a permanent thing when you graduate, yeah? Weasley and Weasley, best looking curse breakers in existence, also really successful.”

“It’s so catchy,” Ari joked.

“We want people to know that we’re really good at what we do, but also so, so attractive. Especially the ladies.”

“I mean, that’s what’s important in curse breaking. Being good looking and getting girls.”

“You’re a natural, Ari. I’ve taught you everything I can,” he said, wiping a mock tear from his eye. “Now fly, fly like a beautiful dove. Seriously, though. Be safe this year.”

“I won’t do anything to jeopardize our perfect future together,” she promised. She extended her pinky and he wrapped his around hers, making a pinky swear.

“Keep that brother of mine in line, too, won’t you?” He said, and with a wink he was gone.

 

Rowan and Ari entered Diagon Alley one last time for supplies, arms around the other’s shoulders, surveying the crowd of people moving through the streets. “Can you believe we met here?” Rowan asked, reflecting on that first day. She had been so nervous about making friends when she’d seen Ari, looking just as nervous, her red hair parted neatly and holding a bag with supplies. Her parents had taken her robes to be fitted, leaving her alone on the corner. Ari had been so bright eyed and hopeful back then, about finding her brother.

In the present, Ari’s hair was longer and wilder, falling in long waves down her back. Her eyes were just as bright, though, and they had answers about Jacob now, even if they didn’t have a concrete plan to stop him. Ari had informed them of everything that had happened, and what her parents told her, and everyone was trying to be gentle about it.

Rowan was itching to start researching spells on how to get into the last vault. If Jacob used a blood sacrifice, that would be a major barrier to them getting in. They also still didn’t have his journal, which had been a portkey last year. Ari had left it in the forest, understandably, but they still needed it. Rowan knew there was a way to uncharm portkeys, and she was certain she could do it.

She was going to ask Barnaby to help her. Barnaby was a good flier and a better dueler. In her opinion, Barnaby would have been the best choice to face down Jacob with since he was more comfortable around dark wizards. Barnaby was also as good of a dueler as Ari was. Of course, none of them knew that their little trip into the forest last year would result in a Young vs. Young showdown, so she didn’t blame Ari for taking Charlie. Where dragons were concerned, Charlie was the expert, and they had gone into the forest looking for a journal, not danger. Rowan wondered if there was any chance of convincing Ari to make Barnaby her right-hand man, now that they knew what they were up against. She looked out into the crowd, scanning quickly until she spotted Charlie himself, standing off to the side with Andre. Even if Ari could be convinced, and Rowan didn’t think she could, there was no Charlie would agree to hang back.

“Everything is going to be okay, Rowan,” Ari told her, interrupting her thoughts. “We’re going to get through this year like we always have: together.”

“I know,” Rowan said, taking that first step into the alley so they could collect their supplies. “It’s just scary to think it might be our last one.”

“It is scary,” Ari agreed, wandering towards Gringotts Bank, “But then we’ll be having new adventures. Hopefully adventures that don’t involve my brother or life-threatening danger. Maybe adventures like, Rowan and Barnaby buy a home.”

Rowan blushed. Her relationship with Barnaby was strange. They had kissed, of course, and they liked each other, but they also spent a lot of time apart very comfortably. She sometimes wasn’t sure if she would miss him if he just vanished.  She also didn’t know if she loved him, which bothered her more than anything else. She had watched Charlie kiss Ari when they arrived in Egypt and there had been so much passion that she’d been a little jealous. Tulip and Penny were so settled around each other in a comfortable, long-term kind of way that also made Rowan jealous. She didn’t have that dynamic at all.

“Well, maybe,” she agreed noncommittally as they entered the bank. “Why are we here?”

“I need to do something really quick.”

Rowan stood by as Ari asked a goblin about leaving her money to someone if she died, and watched, horrified, as the goblin produced a document for Ari to sign. She was leaving everything in her vault to Charlie. They said nothing as Ari worked the arrangement out, signed it, and walked back onto the street. For Ari’s part she seemed bouncier, ready to get going.

“Why are you making a will?” Rowan finally asked her.

“Rowan, come on,” Ari said, her smile faltering only slightly.

“Is there something you’re not telling me?” Rowan demanded, panic replacing her horror.

“I don’t plan on dying. I don’t plan on ANYONE dying…but just in case. I just want to make sure Charlie is okay if I’m gone, that’s all…and maybe it’s petty but I don’t want my parents to have all the money I’ve inherited.”

“You’re not going to die,” Rowan said, resisting the urge to hug her best friend. How long had Ari been worrying about this? It was too heavy a burden for one person to shoulder. Rowan wanted to carry some of the load.

“Not with you around,” Ari smiled, looping her arm through Rowan’s.

Rowan considered it a pact. When the time came, she swore she wouldn’t let Ari out of her sight.

They had more adventures ahead of them.

 

*

“I’m glad you came to me for help,” Andre told Charlie as they wove through the people on the streets, making their way to a very specific shop. Charlie glanced over his shoulder, but Ari was no where to be seen. Good. He’d left her with Rowan, staring dreamily into space. Her and Rowan liked to reminisce every year on how they met. If he knew Ari and Rowan, they were probably still standing there, reliving their entire seven-year friendship in prolific detail.    

“Why is she here?” Andre asked in outrage, seeing Penny waiting for them outside the shop.

“She’s a girl,” Charlie told Andre as if it was obvious. “Girls know what girls like.”

“I know what girls like!” Andre retorted. Penny rolled her eyes.

“Just because you date girls doesn’t mean you understand them. I understand girls because I am one AND I date one. Besides, an extra pair of eyes doesn’t hurt anything.”

“Can you trust her not to tell Tulip?” Andre countered. Charlie looked at Penny.

“Can I?” He asked her. Penny scoffed.

“I can keep secrets just fine! Tulip can, too, just for the record, but if you tell me this is just between the three of us then it’s just between the three of us.”

“It is, just between the three of us. No one else can ever know.”

“EVER?” Andre asked incredulously.

“Well. For now,” Charlie clarified.

“You can trust me. I left Tulip with Tonks, stocking up on joke supplies for the year. She barely noticed I left. If I had wanted to tell her, I could have but I didn’t.”

“Okay, okay. Come on, before someone sees us,” Charlie said, ushering them all inside the shop. Inside he was immediately overwhelmed by all the jewelry around him. Rings, bracelets, necklaces, in varying colors, different stones, and cuts. It was why he had asked Andre and Penny to come along.  Andre had good taste in everything and Penny knew Ari really well and would know what she’d like. Or, she’d at least know what Ari wouldn’t like.

He had been serious when he’d told her she could have his last name. She was joking with his brother on their fake curse breaking agency, but Charlie was dead serious. He had spent seven years in love with her, both from afar and up close. There was never going to be another girl and he knew it, just like he knew he wanted to work with dragons when he graduated.   

She could still travel the world with Bill if she wanted to, working in Egypt, or wherever the wind blew her. All he wanted was for her to come home to him at night. He wanted to give her the family she’d always wanted. That all started here, in this shop, with all the rings.

Andre and Penny immediately began squabbling over what was nice versus what Ari would like.

“Ari would never wear that, it’s huge. She’s not flashy Andre and you know it!”

“You only get engaged one time-“Andre retorted.

“Untrue, lots of people get engaged multiple times,” Penny told him.

“Well let’s assumed Ari isn’t, shouldn’t she go big- “

“She’s going to be a curse breaker, she can’t wear that thing, you could see it from space- “

“How much stealth does one person need, Bill was walking around in dragon hide for Merlin’s sake- “

“Look this is much simpler, and it’s sleek- “

“It’s invisible and honestly I’m insulted now- “

“At least it’s not gaudy! That looks like the pretend jewelry my mum bought for me when I was six- “

 

“So, looking for a ring?” The shopkeeper asked Charlie, eyeing his friends arguing over a case. He nodded.

“I’m a little lost though,” he admitted. “It’s why I brought them.”

The woman smiled, urging him closer. “Tell me what she’s like, and we’ll find something for her.”

“Well…uh…she’s half Greek? And her hair is red- “

The woman smiled, interrupting, “What is she _like_?”

“Oh. Uh, well, she’s a Hufflepuff, so you know, she’s…kind, and she’s loyal. Brave, and a good friend. She always does what’s right. She likes to read, especially if it’s raining and she likes the sound of the ocean. Fall is her favorite season and she buys a lot of candles that smell like apple and pumpkins. She is really good at keeping plants alive?”

As he was talking, the woman was walking around the cases, looking in each one. Andre and Penny had stopped talking and were watching.

“She’s not flashy,” Penny added.

“And she likes dueling, so it couldn’t get in the way of that,” Andre added.

“Sounds like she’s got some really good friends,” the woman told them, pulling out a small, blue box. She opened it to reveal a thin, silver band. Delicate, silver olive leaves held a creamy, white pearl in the center. Penny sighed softly.

“Charmed,” the shop keeper said when Andre opened his mouth to object, “so it’s durable for everyday wear, but simple enough not to attract too much attention. Different than the usual diamonds and gemstones, for a girl who sounds like she likes to wander off the beaten path.”

“You have no idea,” Andre muttered as Charlie picked the ring up out of the box.

“I love it,” Penny said, smiling at the ring and Charlie. “And I love you guys.”                          

“It’s perfect,” Charlie said, setting the ring back down. “I’ll take it.”

 

He handed over nearly all the gold Rowan had given him from their bet and Andre had somehow known Ari’s ring size, claiming he knew everyone’s measurements. Penny had challenged him, asking for her own, and then Tulips, and Andre answered, seemingly to Penny’s satisfaction. Charlie didn’t care how Andre knew, sliding the box into his pocket and leaving the shop quickly before anyone he knew might see him. He didn’t know when he’d ask her, or even how. There wasn’t any rush to begin with.

He felt better knowing he had it.

He’d know when the moment was right.

 

*

If Tulip had been a more observant person, she would have seen Charlie walking out of the jewelry store, followed by Andre, and a minute later, Penny. She was waiting on Barnaby, the only person she trusted for help. Barnaby was typically a terrible secret keeper, but she’d spilled the beans about asking Penny to marry her earlier in the summer and he’d said nothing. She didn’t technically need his help, but she was nervous and weirdly embarrassed about going in by herself.

She was also a little worried the shopkeeper might be rude to her when she found out the ring was for a girl, and Barnaby was just threatening enough that someone might think twice before saying anything directly to her face.

Not that Tulip couldn’t defend herself. But she already felt emotionally vulnerable. She didn’t need to add extra layers of discrimination on top of it.

“Sorry,” Barnaby said, appearing seemingly out of nowhere. “I was getting some defense against the dark arts books. Just in case our teacher is useless this year, we can still learn something.”

“Rowan is rubbing off on you,” Tulip said, but she wasn’t mad. It was really thoughtful of Barnaby to do that.

"You ready?” He asked, ignoring her comment. Tulip nodded, and they walked in, Barnaby leading the way.

“I’m seeing so many Hogwarts students today,” the shop woman commented, noting their appearance. “Seventh year students are so good for business.”

“I need a ring,” Tulip blurted out. The woman nodded.

“Of course, you do, if you’re here. Tell me about him.”

“Her,” Tulip corrected. Barnaby tensed next to her slightly, but the woman didn’t seem phased at all.

“Tell me about her,” the woman prompted. Tulip hesitated. Why was it so hard for her to just be open about how she felt about Penny? Or anyone? She hid everything behind a thick, sarcastic wall that only Penny really seemed to be able to get through. She knew part of it was fear. Fear that she’d be seen as weak somehow, or an easy target.

Barnaby started. “She’s the most popular girl in the school, mostly because she’s so likable. She’s a potion genius and a really good friend.”

“She’s the nicest person in the entire world and beautiful, and smart, and really funny, like not obvious funny but the kind of funny that’s ACTUALLY funny, you know- “

The woman smiled, holding her hand up. “I get it.” She pulled out a small, purple box and a small band covered in tiny diamonds. A larger, square cut diamond sat in the center of the band, gleaming under the lights. Tulip took it, staring at it, her heart beating rapidly.

“It’s really pretty,” he told Tulip, nudging her with his elbow. “How does it make you feel?”

She cleared her throat, tears pricking at her eyes. Was it possible you could meet your soul mate in school? Would Penny tell her yes? So much of her future rode on the tiny ring in her hand. She looked up Barnaby, eyes wide with fear. She was tempted to give it back and bolt and he seemed to understand how she felt.

“She loves it,” he interpreted, correctly. “We’ll take it.”

 

Somehow, and she would never know how, she walked out with the ring burning a hole in her pocket. The shopkeeper seemed certain she knew Penny’ ring size, despite both Tulip and Barnaby having no idea.

“Are you okay?” He asked her, guiding her away from the store and towards Fortescue’s for ice cream.

“You can’t tell anyone,” she urged. He nodded solemnly.

“I promise.”

“What have you two been up to?” Rowan asked, sitting at an outside table with Ari. The two of them had all their bags piled in and around the chair and were working their way through massive cones. Tulip almost jumped out of her skin at Rowan’s voice.

“Nothing,” Barnaby lied smoothly, touching her shoulder. “I bought books!”

“Ooh, I want to see!” Rowan said, grabbing the bag out of his hands. Ari looked at Tulip, her eyes smiling in a way that made Tulip sure that she knew everything. Tulip opened her mouth to defend herself when she remembered that Ari wasn’t a mind reader. If she said something she’d blow the entire thing.

“What flavor is that?” Tulip asked, aware her mouth was gaping open and she looked ridiculous.

“Cotton candy,” Ari responded. “It’s got little cotton candy pieces in it.”

“Ugh, no, too sweet,” Tulip said, walking into the shop. Behind her, she heard Ari shout,

“IT’S ICE CREAM!”

 

*

“Why is everyone acting so jumpy?” Ari asked Charlie when they got back to the Burrow. They were all staying there for the night before getting back on the train, like they had the year before.

“Jumpy? Who is acting jumpy?” He asked, his eyes darting around. She sighed. He was, for one. Penny and Andre, too, along with Tulip.

“No one,” she said, walking away from him to join in a conversation between Tonks and Ben. At least they seemed normal. She assumed that a small group of them had discussed the upcoming year and didn’t want to tell her whatever they were planning or worrying about. She didn’t blame them, but it was a little frustrating they couldn’t lie about it better.

“Ari,” Molly Weasley met them on the front lawn. Next to her was Ari’s parents, their expressions ranging from disappointment (her dad) to undisguised fury (her mom). Her friends paused with her, only moving into the house when Mrs. Weasley began ferrying them in. Rowan and Charlie looked back in the doorway as Ari stood in front of her parents, school bags in her hands. She set them down and walked a little closer, careful to keep a safe distance between them. Worst case scenario, she could outrun them. She knew the layout of the land better, and only needed to get far away that she could apparate. They’d have to go to the ministry to find out where she went, via her trace, and she’d be well hidden by then.

Molly was the last to leave, shooting Ari a sympathetic look and closing the door firmly behind her.

“I’m not going home,” she said immediately. Might as well get that out of the way.

“You think you can stand there and tell us what you will and won’t do?” Her mother burst out. Behind her parents, the front door of the Burrow opened slightly. She lifted her chin in defiance.

“We’ve been looking for you,” her father told her. “You left without a word, we’ve been worried sick.”

“I would have thought you’d be used to that by now. You didn’t seem to have a problem letting Jacob leave without a word. Why not me?”

“I’m not playing this game with you Ariadne. You’ll return home or-“ Helene Young took a step forward and Ari took two back. She could see Rowan and Charlie watching from the door now, twin expressions of worry on their faces.

She shook her head to her parents. “I’m not going back, and you can try and make me, but I’ll keep leaving. You can’t erase the sins of our family by hiding.” She said simply.

“This isn’t some little game with your friends anymore!” Her father snarled. “Your life is on the line, Ariadne, and you treat it like it’s nothing, just another thing to throw away-“

“I treat my life like it’s worthless?!” She screeched, her voice rising with every syllable. “I didn’t keep Jacob around, knowing he was trying to kill one of my children, YOU DID. If I treat my life as disposable, well, I learned it from you!”

“You’re sixteen, you’re not thinking this through.” Edward changed his tactic, imploring his daughter. “Think of the consequences. You have so much ahead of you, and you’re throwing it all away, and for what? A boy? Grade school friendships? Those are replaceable- “

“They’re not,” Ari said, taking another step backwards. “My friends aren’t replaceable and neither is my boyfriend. I’m not walking away. Jacob is our family’s responsibility, and if you guys aren’t going to do anything about it, then it’s my job. You can try and drag me back, but I’ll be seventeen in October and I’ll go right back to making things right then, so you might as well let me finish my education in peace.”

“He’ll kill you,” Helene said, reaching a hand out to touch Ari, but Ari moved back again, her hand gripping her wand tightly. She wondered what would happen if she attacked her parents. Would she go to jail?

Ari shook her head. “He could try.”

“You’re making a mistake,” Edward added. She shrugged.

“It’s my mistake to make, then.”

Her parents had lost, and the three of them knew it. She wasn’t going back, and they were aware that they couldn’t make her. She was right, they could only contain her until she was seventeen, and then she was free to do what she wanted. She wished she could make them understand the rightness of the position she was in, or that she wouldn’t have been in that position at all if they had dealt with Jacob years ago, when they could. They could have held him accountable for his behavior, but they’d chosen to look the other way and hope he didn’t hurt anyone else. Ari wasn’t willing to risk any more innocent people to protect her brother. If her parents couldn’t be brave, she’d be brave enough for all of them. It was the very least she could do.

She stood there wordlessly as her parents tried pleading one last time, looking beyond them. Charlie and Rowan were fully in the doorway now, watching the entire thing with matching faces of sympathy and determination. She wouldn’t have wavered but seeing them there kept her spine straight. She couldn’t explain to her parents why it was wrong to not care who Jacob hurt, as long as he wasn’t hurting them. That wasn’t love.

They left her there, against their better judgement, with a promise to write to Dumbledore and Ari offered only a nod. She didn’t trust them to keep their word, especially if they were touching her, even in a hug.

When they were gone, Ari exhaled, and Rowan and Charlie came out. “Are you okay?” Rowan asked. Ari nodded.

“That looked hard,” Charlie added, eyeing Ari cautiously. Both of them gave Ari a fair amount of space, which she appreciated.

“It’s fine,” she said simply, walking through them to go into the house. “It had to be done.”

 

*

They were supposed to be separated, and they were, technically. The girls were in the living room and the boys were in his room. He waited until it was quiet and the movement in the house had stopped before creeping towards the window. He could see her sitting in the yard, legs tucked up to her chin, looking out into the void. It was almost déjà vu, having met her on the lawn this exact same time a year earlier. It had been under different circumstances then. She was preaching the virtues of normalcy and he was still pretending he didn’t love her.

He crept down the stairs and made his way to the door.

“Can’t sleep?” He spun around to find his dad sitting at the table, reading the paper. He sighed.

“Nope,” he said. He should have known his parents would have caught on to what was going on with him and Ari.

“Fresh air might help,” his dad responded, never looking up from the paper. Charlie could read between the lines. They were being watched, so don’t try anything slick. Not that he ever would have in his parent’s house, but that was beside the point. He nodded, turning back towards to the door.

“Keep the door open,” his dad said after him. Charlie rolled his eyes but did it just the same.

She didn’t move when he sat next to her. He wondered if she’d been expecting him.

“You’re not going to die, Ari,” he whispered finally, her dad’s words still bouncing around his mind. She sighed.

“I know. I just wish they had been honest about him from the beginning, you know?”

He nodded. “Would it have changed anything, though?”

She looked over at him, resting her chin on her shoulder. “I don’t know. I know I have to do something, but I don’t know what. Or how.”

“We never have a plan,” he reminded her, “And we always come out on top. I have to believe that between the nine of us, we can figure it out.”

“There are so many complicated spells we need to learn,” she sighed, scooting closer so she could put her head on his shoulder. He rested his on top of hers.

“McGonagall gave you and Barnaby permission to start a dueling club last year. We could borrow the Room of Requirement and learn them in there,” he reminded her.

“We’re supposed to have a chaperone,” she told him. He shrugged.

“Head Boy and Girl remember?”

She smiled, remembering how ridiculous it was that she was somehow Head Girl. He kissed the top of her head. “We’re going to be okay, Ari.”

“Promise me that when it’s all over, we’ll go somewhere. Somewhere quiet, with a beach view.”

“Anywhere you want,” he promised. She looked up, bringing her face closer to his for a kiss, when a loud throat clear startled them apart. They looked over their shoulders to see Arthur Weasley, standing in the doorway, eyes still glued to his paper. Charlie rolled his eyes again as Ari ducked her head, smiling.

“We should go to bed,” she said, climbing to her feet. He followed, only a little disappointed. “We’ve got a long day tomorrow.”

“Just one of many,” he said, watching her walk past his dad and disappear into the living room. He hadn’t told her that for a momentary reassurance. It was a promise. There was nothing he wouldn’t do to get her on that beach, alive, with her entire life ahead of her.

Even his own life.

*

“You’re Head Girl?!” A sixth year Ravenclaw asked incredulously. They were supposed to be debriefing all the prefects and it was not off to a good start.

“It was a shock to me, too,” Ari admitted much to Charlie’s chagrin.

“What do you think about this?” A fifth year Hufflepuff asked Rowan. Rowan shrugged.

“I don’t care who is Head Girl, as long it’s a Hufflepuff.”

“And I earned over a thousand house points last year,” Ari reminded the train compartment.

“Yeah, a lot of good that did us when we lost the house cup to Slytherin,” that same Hufflepuff grumbled.

“Slytherin is the best,” Barnaby piped up from his chair, casually slouching, an arm tossed around Rowan thoughtlessly.

“We’re getting off track,” Charlie cut in smoothly, his Head Boy badge pinned neatly to his robes. Ari knew she was staring, slightly open mouthed, but it couldn’t be helped. His hair was pulled back like always, his bangs casually falling in his face as he spoke about his hopes for everyone that year.

“Can we back track,” another Ravenclaw asked, “Just like, three sentences, so I can ask our Head Girl how she plans to uphold the rules of Hogwarts? I only ask because, you know, historically this has not been your strong suit.”

“Why don’t we let our Head Boy worry about our Head Girl,” Andre suggested, giving Charlie a slow wink that made everyone turn their head with outrage.

“Are you two dating?!” A seventh year Gryffindor girl asked.

Charlie pinched the bridge of his nose. “What’s important is that we all remember that I can take points from any house, and I’ll do it if there is any more speculation on my love life.”

“We totally are, though,” Ari added from her seat next to Charlie. He turned his head slowly to stare at her. “Let’s just get it out of the way. We are, but you still have to listen to us, even if you don’t respect us.”

“I respect him,” a younger Gryffindor retorted.

Ari clapped her hands together, deciding that she was going to ignore the insult, and smiled. “Perfect. As long as you respect one of us, that’s all that matters.”

Charlie finished his speech, looking only slightly annoyed, and Ari sat there next to him silently. It’s not like everyone didn’t have a point. She had been garbage at upholding school rules over the years and could not believe that Dumbledore had thought this was a good idea. She did know he liked small practical jokes and she couldn’t help but feel like this was one of them. The list of rules she hadn’t broken was much shorter than the ones she had.

 

Her and Charlie climbed off the train and began ushering first years towards Hagrid. “That went badly, didn’t it?” She asked, her hand on the back of a tiny child.

He shrugged. “I knew it was going to be difficult. You’ve got a room of people who like rules, and then you.”

“It’s not that I don’t like rules,” she protested, leaning down to a tie a boy’s shoe. “It’s just that sometimes the things I need to do directly conflict with the written rules. And, for that matter, who even wrote these rules? Why have a massive lake, for example, if you can’t even swim in it?”

He chuckled. “And that’s what I love about you. It’s just a tough pill for the rest of them to swallow.”

The first years began to clamber into boats and Ari and Charlie waved heartily to Hagrid, who waved back so vigorously he nearly tipped his boat over.

She slipped her hand into his, heading towards the horseless carriages. Since they’d helped everyone else, they were the last ones waiting, and got a rare carriage alone.

“Honestly, I don’t think I’m going to be a good Head Girl,” she admitted as she climbed in. He went after her, closing the door behind them.

“I think you should trust Dumbledore,” Charlie said, sitting next to her and wrapping an arm around her shoulder. “If nothing else, we’ll get to spend time alone together this year.”

“Patrolling,” she reminded him with an exasperated look. “And no offense, but on the list of ways and places I’d like to be alone with you, patrolling the school for miscreants is right under sitting in church.”

Charlie personally thought sitting next to her in a church sounded nice. Of course, in his fantasy, she was wearing a white dress and agreeing to spend the rest of her life with him. He judged, by the look on her face, that she was picturing something very different.

“We don’t have to follow _all_ the rules all the time,” he suggested. She looked up at him, her green eyes wide with surprise. He shrugged. “What? I like breaking rules occasionally too you know.”

They pulled up outside Hogwarts as a wind blew through, ruffling her hair across her face. She brushed it from her face, her eyes losing their playful edge as she looked over at the Forbidden Forest. He looked, too, with a deep sigh. Jacob was always present, even in their lighter moments, hanging over them both. Ari would never really be free until she’d brought Jacob back. She was haunted, his memory lurking just at the edge of her vision.

The wind swirled around them and Charlie shivered involuntarily. Her eyes were fixed, and he thought for a second she would jump down and make a break for the Forest, vanishing. Panic rose in his throat and he reached for her hand, clasping it firmly. The spell broke and she turned towards him.

“Come on,” she said softly, the wind carrying her voice away, “Let’s go.”

 

 

 

*

“They look like babies,” Penny commented, looking at all the brand new Hufflepuffs sitting at the table.

“I can’t wait to mold them in my image,” Tonks said lovingly. “These are my heirs.”

“I think Fred and George Weasley are the rightful heirs to the Tonks/Tulip legacy,” Ari commented dryly, watching the ginger twins taunt the Bloody Baron.

“Their genius surpasses even my own.” Tonks wiped away a mock tear. “I love them as if they were my own children.”

“Speaking of!” Penny clapped her hands together. “I heard a rumor that you were nearly engaged this summer, Tonks!”

“What?” Ari’s eyes lit up. “Tell me everything.”

Tonks face clouded over. “ _Almost_ , meaning my mom, and another person’s mom, attempted to arrange something and I blew up a very nice sit-down dinner.”

“Oh my God who’s living room did you blow up?” Ari cackled.

“It was a dining room,” Tonks said primly, wiping her mouth daintily with her napkin. “And a lady never tells.”

“It was Rosier’s,” Penny told them. “Apparently they’re having trouble marrying Felix off.”

“Really?” Ari asked, surprised. Felix had been attractive enough to land a dimwitted wife.

“He’s _picky_ ,” Tonks sneered.

“He’s not very interested in the dark arts,” Penny told them. “Not like his brother. It makes it hard to find a pure blood wife when you don’t toe the party line.”

“I don’t believe it,” Tonks said darkly. “And I’m not a pure blood anymore, remember. That’s how you know they’re desperate, when they’re willing to settle.”

“Yeah we should definitely judge people based on their families and not who they are,” Rowan commented suddenly. “It’s why we hate Barnaby so much.”

Tonks narrowed her eyes but offered no rebuttal.

*

It was their first week back and Rowan was already in the library, and she wasn’t alone. Barnaby was there with a note from Professor Snape.

“Restricted section,” he whispered as he walked past her, jaw clenched. He presented the note to Madame Pince, who preceded to grill him softly regarding the note, which Barnaby seemed to answer. She left, going herself to the restricted section to get whatever book he was after. None of them were allowed in it alone after the havoc they’d wreaked their third year. She came back, holding an old, ragged looking book, and placed it gently in Barnaby’s hand with what looked like a warning to care for it like it was a fragile baby.

“What’s that?” Rowan asked once he was sitting at her table. Barnaby opened the book and blew the dust off the pages.

“The oldest book I’ve ever touched,” Barnaby told her, flipping through the pages. “I’m going to try and teach Ari something.”

Rowan was stunned. Barnaby was going to teach someone something? That seemed so far out of character for him that he might as well have been a new person sitting in front of her.

“Teach her what?” She asked, curiosity burning.

“Legilimancy. Dark magic we probably should have learned in class by now, or at least been told about it,” he responded, finding the page he wanted.

“I’ve never heard of it,” she told him honestly. She couldn’t know everything, after all, and the dark arts had never been her specialty. He nodded like he wasn’t surprised.

“Teaches you to close your mind to other wizards, which will be useful for Ari when she’d dueling. She’s really good, but she tends to scream her spells in her mind. Any accomplished dark wizard will have mastered the art of occlumency, and I can probably only teach Ari one.”

Rowan just stared. She knew Barnaby’s family had connections to you-know-who, because Ari had told her years earlier, but it wasn’t like it was some kind of secret. Three fourths’ of Slytherin’s house had some connection, one way or another. Ari’s comment had always made her wonder how close they’d been, but Ari, along with the rest of their friends, accepted Barnaby’s rejection of all things dark.

But here he was, an apparent expert on certain aspects of the dark arts.

He sighed, seeing her face. “Occlumency is using magic to push into someone’s mind and gain access to their thoughts. It’s easier to learn, probably, but she doesn’t really need to know what Jacob is thinking so much as she needs him not to know, you know?”

“And you’re going to teach it to her?”

“Well, I’m probably the only one who knows how.” He said with a frown, looking down at his paper.

“Who taught you?” Rowan couldn’t help but ask. Barnaby’s face soured.

“My dad, and then me, on my own, to keep people out of my mind. Really sucks when your parents just go barging in for information.” His jaw was clenched tightly, and she wondered if that had played a part in him being kicked out this summer.

She offered him a small smile and he reached across the table to grab her hand but didn’t say anything else. She didn’t mind.

This is where they were most themselves, reading quietly in the library.

Maybe Barnaby was more her match than she’d thought.

*

“Ari! Hey!” Ben caught up with Ari, jogging down the stairs to reach her. She smiled, stopping to wait.

“Hey Ben, what’s up?”

“I wanted to offer my services to you!” He said brightly. She smiled. All her friends were offering to teach her things, or to do things for her. She felt incredibly lucky that they cared so much.

“Sure, what did you have in mind?” She asked.

“Well,” he began, falling into step with her. She was headed to Care of Magical Creatures, a class Ben was not in. “I’m pretty good at charms, and when we talked this summer, you mentioned how you had just barely escaped dementors. I know a charm that can repel them. You know, just in case?”

“Yeah, I would love that,” she said as she made her way to the front door.

“Excellent. We can hash it out over dinner, but I thought it might be useful to you and I really want to see your patronus!”

She grinned, even though she had no idea what he was talking about. “So fun, see you Ben!”

She left him in the hall and entered the fresh, fall air, where Barnaby was standing, looking more Slytherin than she’d ever seen him. His hair was perfectly coiffed, his eyes a steely green, and his jaw, cut sharply against the flipped-up collar of his shirt. His hands were shoved into his pockets as he stared her down. She briefly wondered what kind of father he’d make, before pushing the errant thought out of her mind.  
“Barn, you okay?” She asked, standing in front of him. She felt small somehow, under his stern gaze.

“Yeah, I just…had a conversation with Snape I can’t get out of my head,” he told her after a second, relaxing his jaw. “He’s worried about my future.”

“What future?” She asked as they made their way to the outdoor classroom.

“The ‘future’ my parents have picked out for me. You know, high ranking ministry official, pure-blood wife, two point five kids, and a shit load of Voldemort artefacts hidden in my home…just in case. I guess he thought I was showing an interest again because I asked to check out that book.” He made air quotes around the word future, his eyes rolling into his head.

“What book?”

His face brightened a little. “I’m going to teach you something that might keep you alive long enough to disable Jacob!”

“Everyone is being so helpful lately, it’s so nice,” she said as they entered the space. Charlie was on his usual log sketching and Ari didn’t need to see it to know his sketch was of his real true love: dragons. “Look, you don’t have to worry about them. I know it’s hard, having a family who disappoints you, but we’re your family too, and we all support you and your dreams.”

“Isn’t that cute?” Merula’s voice interrupted Ari’s speech. Her and Barnaby turned to see the small brunette sauntering up, her greasy haired sidekick trailing along. “Young supports Lee’s dreams here. He can shoot for the stars and be whatever he wants. What kind of careers are they handing out to dim-witted blood traitors?” She taunted. Ari whipped out her wand.

“I don’t know, Merula, but I’ll bet it’s better than whatever job is being offered to a second best, no talent witch. Or, I guess it’s like, third best, right? Because it’s me, then everyone else, and then you.”

Merula was in Ari’s personal space, snarling. “Big words for the cursed student. Manage to kill anyone yet?”

Barnaby grabbed Ari’s arms before she could swing, physically holding her back. “You can’t hit her, you’re Head Girl,” Barnaby warned her.

Merula was grinning. “Did someone finally let you in on that little secret? Gosh, they sure do keep things from you, I wonder why that is?”

“It’s funny how I still beat you every time, even with only half the information,” Ari spat, her arms still behind her back. “What good is knowing everything if you’re too stupid to do anything with it?”

Merula’s smirk slid off her face. “Whose life are you going to trade for your brothers, Young?” Merula asked, her voice low, as she got in Ari’s face. “I hope it’s Khanna’s. She’s always been an- “

Ari slammed her face into Merula’s, knocking the girl to the floor. She jerked herself out of Barnaby’s grip as Charlie came striding over, his face concerned.

“Twenty points from Slytherin!” Ari said, heart racing. Merula looked up, her nose bleeding, with pure hatred in her eyes.

“You can hide behind that badge all you want, but you know I’m right.”

“Ten points from Slytherin,” Charlie added, his voice light. “No fighting in class.”

Merula looked outraged but Ari didn’t care. She had to walk away from Merula before she did something that would get her expelled.

“What happened?” Charlie asked, looking at the wild look on Ari’s face but she walked away, straight out of class, almost knocking Professor Kettleburn down along the way.

She’d let herself get worked up by Merula’s jeers, and Merula would know by now that she’d hit a nerve. Ari had been trying not to think about Jacob’s sacrifice and what it would mean for opening the cursed vault, but what if someone had to die?

She shook her head.

No one was going to die. She’d make sure of it.

*

“Why are they keeping things from me, though?” She asked Charlie as the patrolled the halls for students out of bed. She had tried to get Merula’s taunt out of her mind, but she couldn’t. Merula always had more information than her. Merula had found her brother’s room first, knew where all the vaults were first, she seemed to have personal information about Jacob that Ari didn’t. Ari doubted Merula had spoken with Dumbledore and couldn’t imagine Snape gossiping about it with her. Who was telling her?

Charlie shrugged as they walked slowly, shoulder to shoulder. “Maybe they think you don’t need to know?”

Ari sighed so loudly it bordered on a scream. “It would have been nice to have known that Jacob was a murderer.”

Charlie nodded. “Yeah, it would have changed a lot of things.”

“Yeah! Or to know he was a Voldemort fan!”

Charlie cringed when she said the name, but Ari didn’t care. Dumbledore had been right- take the power out of the name. “It probably wouldn’t have even changed anything,” she admitted for the first time out loud. “But it would have been nice to have known.”

Charlie frowned. “You would have still gone looking for him, knowing what you know now?”

It was the ugly truth of her and she knew it. It wasn’t noble, chasing after a murderer just because you loved him, and Charlie was the very definition of noble. Would she risk her friends lives to find Jacob, even knowing he had killed someone?

Yes.

Would she have risked her life knowing he had been a death eater?

Yes, and yes again.

She wanted to say it was because she thought she could change him, but that wasn’t true. She had loved him. She still did. She would have done everything exactly the same. She didn’t have to tell Charlie any of that, though. She could tell from the look on his face that he already knew.

A soft noise from the closet next to her saved her from having to justify her decision. She flicked her wand and two students came tumbling out, disheveled. Charlie began deducting points from their houses as Ari watched them scamper off, jealous. That’s what she wanted to be doing, not admitting dark, personal truths.

“Why don’t you just go confront Dumbledore?” Charlie asked as they began walking again.

“Oh sure, I have a free pass to just barge into his office and demand answers,” she retorted sarcastically, her mind leaving her torrid fantasy. Dumbledore had never once given her a straight answer.

“Don’t be mean,” he sighed. “I’m trying.”

She stopped him, grabbing his elbow so he had to turn and face her. “I’m sorry,” she said truthfully. “I’m frustrated.”

“I know. I am too,” he told her, lifting her chin with his finger. There was little height distance between them. She was short, but Charlie was too, five ten to her five four. He leaned, closing the gap, to kiss her, stepping forward as she stepped backwards, never taking her mouth off of his. This is where she wanted to be, wrapped up in his arms, her back against the stone of the castle walls, kissing him like she’d die if they stopped.

They were good at it, too, she thought, as she arched slightly, her hand snaking up the back of his sweater, touching his skin. He sighed into her mouth, his hand in its familiar spot at the nape of her neck. His other hand was messing with the hem of her own sweater, trying to make a decision. She supported him putting his hand up her shirt, biting his lower lip gently as his fingers brushed her stomach. She felt electrified.

“Young! Weasley!” A familiar voice broke them apart in a second. Charlies hair was somehow undone around his face, giving him an exceptionally frantic expression. Her sweater was untucked and one of her socks had fallen. Snape was scowling at the pair of them. “Ten points from Gryffindor and Hufflepuff,” he announced softly. Charlie and Ari didn’t look at each other. “Back to your dorms.”

They started to walk off, but Snape stopped them, blocking the path.

“Alone,” he told them. Ari sighed, turning around to take the long way to the Hufflepuff common room. The most direct route was the same staircase Charlie would take up to the Gryffindor tower but there was no point in arguing with Snape.

Leave it to Snape, she thought, as she made her way through the halls, to interrupt what was promising to be a good night. They should have been more discreet, her mind told her traitorously. They’d gotten caught up in the moment. The problem was that all they wanted was to be alone, and everyone around them made it impossible.

She descended into the bowls of the castle, her mood souring by the second. If this week was any indication for how the rest of the year would play out, she was ready to fast forward through all of it.

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> If you've said anything nice about this story, reviewed/left kudos/thought about it in passing, I love you. 
> 
> Also in case you wanted a visual on what Charlie and Tulip purchase, I've included links but it you don't like them, feel free to picture them however you want.   
> Charlie (https://www.tiffany.com/jewelry/rings/paloma-picasso-olive-leaf-pearl-ring-GRP09227?fromGrid=1&origin=search&trackpdp=search&fromcid=-1&trackgridpos=53)  
> Tulip (https://www.tiffany.com/engagement/rings/tiffany-novo-princess-cut?trackpdp=bg&origin=engagement&search_params=param+0/0/0/0/0/0/GRP10102)


	12. Desperate Measures

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> As always, if you've left any kudos, said anything nice, or just read the story at all, thank you so much!

_For a first effort this feels kinda last ditch_

_I guess this just got kinda drastic_

_Trust us, you just fell off the bus_

_I can't let this go when I've got you right where I want you_

_I've been pushing this for so long_

_Kiss me, just once, for luck_

_These are desperate measures now_

 

 

 

 

“First Quidditch game of the season!” Penny bubbled, clad head to toe in yellow and black.

“What house are you in, again?” Rowan asked Ari, who was wearing a red and gold jersey she’d stolen from Bill over the summer. The name WEASLEY was emblazoned on the back in dark black letters. She had her yellow and black Hufflepuff scarf draped across her arm, just for show.

“We _always_ lose,” Ari complained as they made their way to the stadium. “I’m hedging my bets ahead of time.”

“Ms. Young!” Professor Sprout stopped them at the base of the stairs. “A little house pride every once and a while would not hurt you!”

“I love being a Hufflepuff!” Said Ari indignantly.

“She just loves Charlie more,” Tonks interrupted smoothly. Sprout threw her hands up and walked off, leaving the four of them to climb up the stands. Professor Sprout wasn’t the only one giving Ari dirty looks. Ari was a red and gold dot in a sea of yellow and black.

“Why don’t you go sit with your boyfriend?” Someone hissed behind her.

“He’s on a broom,” Ari responded, pretending not to understand the context of the comment. “See, right there, walking onto the Quidditch pitch? Charlie Weasley, he’s the Gryffindor Quidditch Captain and Head Boy. Right there,” she pointed. “I can’t sit with him, he has to play.”

“Beat him over the head with it, why don’t you,” Tulip commented, sliding in between Ari and Penny, wearing yellow and black to support Penny.

Andre and Ben joined them, Andre in Hufflepuff yellow and Ben in Gryffindor gold. He high fived Ari, forcing Tulip over so they could sit together. “I was worried I’d be the only one.”

“In my heart, I want Hufflepuff to win,” she told him. “But in my head, I know we won’t. Our team is hopeless this year.”

“Don’t count Hufflepuff out just yet,” Andre said, peering down where both teams were gathering, preparing to launch into the sky.

“Are you just saying that because you don’t want to face Charlie?” Tonks asked.

“It’s exactly why I’m saying that.”

“Almost missed it!” Barnaby came running up the stairs in his usual Slytherin colored sweater. “I was trying to get a badger painted on my cheek.” He pointed to a muddy splotch of yellow and black on his cheek. “I am not an artist.”

“You tried though,” said Rowan, her compliment drowned out by the screaming coming from the Gryffindor section of the bleachers. When Hufflepuff circled Ari momentarily forgot her Gryffindor support and cheered right alone with everyone else. The teams lined up, preparing and Charlie positioned himself right in front of Ari’s section.

“You two are not subtle,” Tulip to Ari, despite having her arm around Penny’s shoulder. Ari didn’t bother to point out the hypocrisy, too busy smiling like an idiot. He smiled back at her, handsome with his long hair pulled off his face and in his uniform colors.

The whistle blew and in a blur, everyone was gone, Charlie included. Ari followed him with her eyes, way above everyone in the game, scanning for the snitch.

“Is that the Weasley twins?” Rowan asked, pointing out twin gingers with beater bats enthusiastically lobbing bludgers at the Hufflepuff chasers.

“Oh my gosh it is!” Penny cried, clapping her hands. “Look at them go! Go Weasleys!” She shouted, eliciting dirty looks from everyone around her. They’d been watching the little Weasley’s grow up over the course of their sixth and seventh years. There were a lot of them at Hogwarts now, Percy was floating around there somewhere, too. Ari had always gotten the impression he did not care for her much, as Percy was more of a Rowan type. Rules and school. Ari had gotten Bill and Charlie in a lot of trouble during their tenure at Hogwarts.

She also thought it must be difficult to have a brother like Charlie hanging over your head. Quidditch Captain, Head Boy, handsome as hell. She was suddenly grateful that Jacob had been none of that. How do you carve out your own niche when someone in your gene pool is showing everyone how much better they are at everything than you?

Gryffindor was leading Hufflepuff 80-50 when Charlie suddenly dived. The Gryffindor side began screaming. Ari watched Hufflepuff’s seeker on his tail, but Charlie was too quick. He flattened out, moments before he would have smashed into the ground, gold snitch held triumphantly in his hand. Ari and Ben jumped to their feet along with the entire Gryffindor house, McGonagall included. Charlie’s team slammed into him midair, a victory hug.

 

“At least it was quick,” Rowan said with disappointment, back in their common room.

“We just need new blood. Diggory was looking good, didn’t you think?” Penny commented.

“He’ll come into his own after our time, though,” Andre said thoughtfully. “But he’s definitely talented. He’d be a star under a better captain.”

“Do you want to crash Gryffindor’s party or just raid the kitchen and have a pity party?” Tonks asked. It was no secret that Gryffindor always went wild when their team won.

“Do you want to party with the Gryffindor’s?” Tulip asked her.

“I’m actually just waiting on Ari, she’s changing but I think I look fine.”

“Your face is painted in yellow and black stripes,” Andre pointed out.

“Very normal for me,” Tonks said, unconcerned. Ari came thundering down the stairs.

“Merlin Ari save something for the dance this year,” Tulip commented at Ari’s black dress. It was low cut, spaghetti strapped, and short, stopping at her upper thigh. She’d thrown heels on to accentuate her legs. The waist was skin tight, with the skirt flowing out, giving her a very hourglass appearance.

“If you like this, you will love the dress I have for the dance,” she said, flouncing out of their common room with Tonks.

“You ever wonder if Charlie wakes up every morning grateful for the life he’s living or like, is it just so normal for him that he doesn’t even think about it?” Andre asked to no one in particular.

 

*

Tonks knew the password. “How? Ari asked as the portrait swung open to the roar of voices.

“I know how to get into every common room,” Tonks said simply, climbing in. Tonks immediately vanished, leaving Ari standing there, scanning the packed room for Charlie. She found him smiling, casually leaning against a wall while a bunch of girls giggled. Ari walked over, poking her head in between two of them as he explained, in earnest, a Quidditch maneuver.

“That sounds dangerous,” she said, drawing his attention to her. “Have you considered keeping your feet on the ground and letting Hufflepuff take the cup? In the interest of your safety, of course.”

“Hufflepuff couldn’t win the Quidditch cup if I sat in a lawn chair drinking tea the entire time,” he retorted, eliciting a new round of giggles.

“I think you underestimate Hufflepuff’s talents on a broom stick,” she responded, parting the girls standing in front of him so he could take a look at her. Ari wasn’t stupid. She knew she was pretty. She also was very aware of how Charlie felt about her. Last year she’d watched his eyes nearly fall out of his head at the winter ball when she walked towards him.

“I think I underestimate Hufflepuffs talents in other areas,” he responded after a second of staring. He reached out, pulling her by the waist into his body and kissed her. “I’d be in trouble if Hufflepuff put you on a broom.”

“Only because I’m dangerous and might injure you,” she responded, smiling against his lips.

He steered her towards a chair, pulling her into his lap, arms stretched out as he looked out at the party. “How’s it feel, to be so universally loved?” She asked into his ear, looking around at all the people celebrating.

He ducked his head, embarrassed. “Everything feels good right now.”

She smiled, knowing he was talking about her. “It’s so weird, how worried I was about doing this. If I had known…” she bit her lip, smiling.

“If I had known I would have told you the moment you were sorted.”

She slapped his shoulder lightly.

“Okay,” he admitted. “I didn’t know exactly then, but you were definitely the most adorable eleven-year-old I had ever seen.”

She kissed him again, a little drunk on the overall atmosphere of the room as well just how happy she felt in that moment. He put a hand on her back, pulling her closer as he deepened the kiss. His tongue was in her mouth. He shifted under her as she brought a hand up to his face, her palm resting against his jaw.

“EXCUSE ME! SIR! MADAME!” Charlie and Ari broke apart to see two gangly, red haired, freckled faces watching them with mock horror. “THERE ARE CHILDREN HERE!”

“You are destroying my childhood innocence!” Fred…or was it George…said.

“I don’t think Hufflepuff’s belong in here, do they Fred?”

“I don’t think they do, George but maybe we should ask our Head Boy. He’s a pillar of strength and order in these dark times.”

“Get lost,” Charlie smiled, his cheeks tinged red.

“Should we consult our Head Girl? Where is she? Surely SHE would know the protocol for this kind of serious breech in security?”

“Hey Fred…George…” she smiled, pulling the hem of dress down. She had forgotten anyone might be watching them. That was the crux of the matter, wasn’t it? Every time she got even a little alone with Charlie she forgot where she was or what she was supposed to be doing. She needed to scope out a quiet place people weren’t constantly walking in and out of.

George winked at her as he and his twin walked off, leaving Ari and Charlie thoroughly embarrassed. “Someday it’ll be them…and I’ll be waiting. I’m gonna install myself as a teacher just to get them back,” she declared.

“They would love that. That’s the kind of practical joke they live for.”

After being interrupted, Ari was content to sit there but it was obvious people wanted to talk to Charlie and he wanted to talk to them.

“I’m going to head back,” she told him as another person came over to relive the game with him.

“No, stay,” he said.

“I’ll see you tomorrow,” she promised, standing up. He walked her over to the portrait hole.

“You could come back tonight, if you wanted.”

“As tempted as I am, I think maybe it’s better if I sleep in my own bed tonight.” She kissed his cheek and walked out before she could change her mind. Charlie how no idea how tempted she was to stay or come back when everyone was asleep, so they could be alone. It wasn’t just his body that she was attracted to. Everything about Charlie was perfection. She was certain she could live five lives and never find anyone like him. It was better for her to go back to her own room and let whatever was bound to happen between them play out organically, when things were right.

She wanted to rush things because she was afraid she didn’t have enough time left to do everything she wanted to with him. She knew that there would never be enough time, even if she survived and they lived to be a hundred.

Any regrets Ari ever had involved Charlie Weasley. Nothing would ever change that.

 

*

“Part of being an Auror,” Tonks began, standing in front of Ari. She’d changed her usual pink hair to a severe, brown bun, similar to the one Professor McGonagall usually wore, which was making Tulip and Ari giggle, “Involves being good under pressure. To fight Jacob, you also must be cool under pressure.”

“Okay,” Ari agreed. “That makes sense. Why are we in this broom closet?”

“We want to see how you do under pressure, and make notes,” Tulip told her.

“Again, that’s so reasonable but why specifically in here?”

“We’re going to step out, and I want you to count to ten, and then come out, too, okay?” Tonks said.

“Close your eyes,” Tulip added.

The two walked out, closing the door behind Ari. She closed her eyes and began counting as she realized what a terrible mistake she’d made. Tulip and Tonks, together? The only thing they could successfully teach her was how to set off one hundred fireworks without getting caught.

She grabbed the knob, about to walk out, when an explosion from behind her sent her rocketing out. Fireworks began exploding out of the door and all around her. She threw her hands over her head, ducking out of the way and they went screaming and whizzing past her. How naive was she, after seven years, to trust them?

When they last one exploded, Ari stood, circled by a massive crowd of spectators oohing and ahhing. The smell of hair burning wafted into her nose and she realized it was her. She quickly extinguished the flame and Filch came barreling through, finger pointed straight at her.

“Oh heck,” she muttered.

“YOU!” Was all he could utter, his face somehow both furious and delighted. Behind him, Snape was billowing in.

“She set them off!” Filch declared, his finger still pointed at Ari’s chest. Snape would have looked happy, if he was capable of feeling emotions but Ari was sure he couldn’t.

“I did not,” she responded calmly, aware that Tulip and Tonks were watching her from somewhere, likely having a big laugh. Snape looked around at the destruction and then back at her.

“No one else is here,” he said in clipped tones.

“They obviously left, and I just happened to stumble into it,” she responded, voice measured. “Bad timing.”

Snape stared at her for a beat too long, making her uncomfortable. “Strange, how that keeps happening to you. Let’s say…thirty points from Hufflepuff?” His eyes were gleaming. Retribution, for the points she and Charlie had taken from Merula. “And detention this Saturday, with me.”

“That sounds so fun,” Ari said, refusing to break eye contact. “I can’t wait.”

Snape turned on his heel, a theatrical spin in her opinion, leaving her standing there facing an enraged Filch.

“IN MY TIME- “

“Yeah yeah, shackled, hung by the wrists, I know,” she said in exasperation.  She stalked off, leaving him to clean the mess as she searched for Tonks or Tulip.

She found them, eating lunch at the Hufflepuff table.

“I lost thirty house points!” Ari said, slamming her hands on the table. “And I have detention with Snape this weekend, AND you know Sprout is going to find me to tell me she expects better- “

“Young!” Professor Sprout floated in, looking furious. Ari gestured wildly from Tonks and Tulip to Professor Sprout but met her head of house in between the tables before following her out, head ducked in shame.

“What did you two do?” Rowan asked, watching Ari vanish.

“We taught her a valuable lesson in staying in calm in extreme situations,” Tulip said confidently.

“And we blew up a hallway,” Tonks added brightly.

“A win win!”

*

Charlie could think of few instances where him and Rowan had been alone. It wasn’t that he didn’t like her, it was that Rowan and Charlie had Ari in common, and that was it. Rowan reminded him of his younger brother Percy, who he loved, but didn’t always like being around. The few times they had been alone had been to discuss Ari, and by the look on Rowan’s face, that was what they were here to discuss. She had taken him to a hidden alcove and was sitting across from him, her knees drawn up to her chest. Her face was pale and her eyes rimmed red. He shifted slightly, uncomfortable. He didn’t know what to do with another person crying.

“Barnaby,” Rowan began, clearing her throat over and over. Charlie froze. Did Barnaby break up with Rowan? Shouldn’t Rowan talk to Ari or Penny about this? He and Barnaby were close, like brothers, even, but he couldn’t give her relationship advice. He was barely qualified to speak about his own relationship.

“Barnaby,” she said again, blinking rapidly. “Saw into Ari’s memories.”

Oh. Wait- “What?” He asked, sure he had misheard.

“Some sort of dark magic thing. He’s trying to teach her to close her mind,” Rowan said quickly, wiping a tear that had rolled down her face. “I don’t really understand it. He can see her memories though. He saw her fight with Jacob.”

Every muscle in his body tensed. No one knew what happened between Ari and Jacob, not really. Ari was the only witness and she’d toned the entire thing down. He’d listened, that day at Bills, quietly and without interruption, trying to reconcile what Ari was saying with the hysterical girl he’d cradled in his arms after the fact. Ari had made it seem so easy. Jacob was her equal. Judging by the tears streaming down Rowan’ face, that was a lie.

“What did he see?”

“Jacob was trying to kill her and-“Rowan stopped, her voice dying in her throat. She was opening crying, no longer trying to conceal it.

“And what, Rowan?” Charlie asked through gritted teeth.

“Jacob was trying to kill Ari and Barnaby doesn’t think she’s going to survive their next meeting.” She put her face in her hands, sobbing, and Charlie scooted over to pull Rowan against him. She cried into his chest as he smoothed her hair down, trying to digest what Rowan had just told him.

“Barnaby said that?” Charlie asked her in between soothing shh’s.

She shook her head. “No, he said he’s worried, which is just the same. Charlie, I don’t know what to do. When we were in Diagon Alley, Ari made a will and I thought she was just over reacting, but she knows how dangerous Jacob is and I think she’s planning to die- “

“Whoa, whoa, Rowan,” Charlie said quickly, his heart pounding in his chest. “She made a will?”

“She said she didn’t want her parents to get all the money her grandparents had left her. If she dies, you’ll get everything she has, she left it all to you- “

“Rowan, Ari isn’t planning to die, okay? She’s…she’s being cautious, that’s all.” Charlie let Rowan keep talking but his hears were filled with the sound of his roaring blood. The ring that he carried with him was like fifty bricks in his pocket. Ari seemed so normal, so herself. Why wouldn’t she share her fears with him?

Because, a small voice whispered in his mind, she knew you’d over react. Get in the way. Try and stop her. He couldn’t deny his first reaction to all this information was to find her and demand the truth out of her, to forbid her from going.

It would only make her more secretive. More determined. Her parents had tried that, and she’d gone around them, and she’d go around him too if she had.

“Does Ari know you know?” Charlie asked Rowan.

“No,” Rowan sniffed, getting a hold on her emotions. “I don’t know how to ask.”

“Don’t. Instead, pretend like everything is normal.”

“How can you say that?” Rowan demanded, scooting away from him. “Everything is not normal.”

“I know that,” he whispered, his anger betraying him. Her eyes went wide. He was so easy going and laid back, he doubted she’d ever seen him upset, let alone mad. “But if Ari thinks we’re trying to stop her she’ll start doing things alone. We need to be trying harder. Any spell you know, teach her. Any book that might be helpful, read it, and when the time comes, don’t let her out of your sight.”

He stood up and inhaled to steady himself.

“What will you do?” Rowan asked from behind him. He didn’t turn around.

“Whatever it takes.”

*

She was jogging through the halls of Hogwarts, having just escaped Snape’s punishment. Relabeling all his jars, a ridiculous punishment even by his standards. Her right hand cramped from all the tiny writing she’d done, attaching labels by hand, and then restacking them in alphabetical order. She hated him, he had taken way too much joy in that punishment, the entire time lecturing her on appropriate behavior. Snape had never had friends, she’d decided. Maybe family, either. He probably just arrived, a thirty-year-old man, furious with life itself. Even Filch’s cat loved him. She very much doubted that an animal could love Snape.

She reached the great hall, where everyone was eating dinner, walking purposefully. Hufflepuff was right next to the kitchen so skipping dinner was not a big deal to her. Charlie was sitting with the Gryffindors, something he’d been doing more and more of lately, probably because Head Boys should try and follow the rules when his head of house was watching. Not that anyone had ever said anything about them all sitting together. Ari always got the impression that the teachers liked it. Except, of course, Snape, who she’d caught glowering at Barnaby more than once.

“Come on,” she said to Charlie, grabbing his hand. His fork clattered against his plate as he stood, climbing out of the bench quickly and jogging to match her pace.

“Where are we going?” He asked but she didn’t respond. Her hair was loose around her face, creating a curtain that shielded her from his gaze which she was grateful for. If he could see her he’d guess instantly what she was attempting and probably stop her. The plan, admittedly, was bad. People were everywhere and the potential for discovery was high.

The reward outweighed the risks, she’d decided. She’d begun thinking about it while rearranging Snape’s storage. She knew where they could be alone and couldn’t believe it hadn’t occurred to her before. The room of requirement. As they reached the hall she thought to herself she needed somewhere to be alone, over and over, until the door appeared. She grabbed it, expecting to see the place from last year and instead walking into a literal closet. She slammed the door closed behind them.

It was a tight squeeze. One step back and she’d be touching the wall, or he’d be up against the door.

“Ari,” he said, a little breathless but she didn’t let him finish. He wouldn’t ruin this by being practical. She shot up on her tiptoes, making them the same height, and covered his mouth with hers. He took the step back roughly, slamming her into the wall behind them. She didn’t care. She raked her fingers through his hair, pulling it out of the pony tail. She liked it in his face, undone. It made him look a little wild.

In the moment, he was more than wild; he was practically feral. Charlie Weasley was completely lost in the dark with her, replaced by someone she didn’t know but wanted to. Her hands pulled his sweater and dress shirt out of his pants, so she could run her hands up and down his well-muscled back as his mouth moved down her jaw to her neck. When her skin met his he growled softly against her neck, reaching down to grab either of her thighs and lift her into the air. She wrapped her legs around his waist, their mouths clashing again, hot and messy. She couldn’t breathe or think or do anything except keep kissing him.

Charlie, ever practical, seemed to realize that they were crossing over to a point of no return. He set her back down and stepped back, breaking apart.

“Ari,” he said again, panting. “We can’t.”

She knew he was right and she hated it. She turned, resting her head against the cool stone as she tried to get a grip on herself. “I know,” she whispered, inhaling and exhaling slowly.

“Not like this,” he added. She looked over her shoulder but couldn’t see him in the dark. He sighed, a frustrated noise, reaching for her. She turned again and let him take her hand but nothing more. Any more contact would be disastrous for them both.

She didn’t know how long they stood there, leaned up against a wall, holding hands and breathing, before he finally opened the door. In the light he looked wilder than she’d imagined. His lips were swollen and red, his hair messy, his sweater vest and shirt untucked. She didn’t think she looked any better and attempted to comb her hair with her fingers as they walked back to dinner, not saying a word.

“We will, though,” she said, when they reached the open doors of the great hall. He looked down at her, his eyes darkening slightly. He nodded, his free hand hovering just for a moment as if he wanted to touch her but thought better of it. He dropped her hand and she walked alone to Hufflepuff’s table, sitting absently between Penny and Rowan.

“Oh Ari,” Tulip said from across from her. “You poor, hormonal little thing.”

Next to her, Barnaby stuffed the untucked half of her shirt back into her skirt. Tulip leaned across the table and smoothed down a couple curls.

“Did you find the alcove in the east tower?” Barnaby asked once Ari’s shirt was re-tucked. Everyone turned to look at him with curiosity except Rowan, who began scooping food into her mouth faster.

“What alcove?” Tulip asked, her eyes dancing from Barnaby to Rowan.

“We go there to be alone, don’t we-OW why are you elbowing me?” Barnaby rubbed his ribcage.

Penny’s face broke into a slow smile and Ari’s eyebrows raised into her hair line.

“I’m sorry,” Tulip said like she had heard all exams were being cancelled. “You go where?”

“Alcove in the east tower. No one is ever there,” Barnaby grumbled. “You can spend hours there- “

“And have you?” Tulip continued on. “Just for my own academic curiosity.”

“Shut. Up.” Rowan ground out, her teeth clenched. Barnaby looked conflicted, suddenly.

“How many hours?” Ari continued. “Just so I know how I measure up.”

“Last year we spent two hours,” Barnaby said, looking down at his food.

“And here we were, using the artefact room like absolute IDIOTS,” Penny told Tulip, eyes huge.

“What are you guys doing that long?” Ari asked, unable to imagine Rowan doing what she’d just done with Charlie.

Barnaby opened his mouth to respond but Rowan clamped her hand down on it. “Studying,” she said hotly, her cheeks flushed.

“You’re a terrible liar,” Tulip retorted. “All Hufflepuffs are. Don’t be embarrassed Ro, Penny and I are doing way worse than a little kissing.”

“Tulip,” Penny hissed. Tulip, for her part, looked embarrassed, the smile fading from her face a little.

“Well great. I’m glad my love life is just splashed out there for anyone to know,” Rowan said angrily, getting up and storming out.

“SO IS MINE!” Ari jumped up, calling after Rowan, but Rowan just threw a hand up and kept walking. Ari sat back down. “Don’t know why she’s so worked up about it, my love life has been a literal bet.”

“She’s ashamed of me,” Barnaby muttered darkly, abandoning his food to leave. Tonks, who had been eating silently, frowned as he walked away.

“I don’t think that’s why she’s embarrassed.”

“She’s tightly wound,” Tulip answered.

“Rowan is always worried that Barnaby is too good for her,” Ari told them. “I’m actually really surprised they’ve been sneaking off together.”

“I’m not,” Penny declared. “Barnaby really likes her. Rowan lives in her head too much.”

The table lapsed back into silence as they all thought about what had just happened. Ari didn’t dwell too much on Rowan for the moment, her eyes drifting across the room and meeting Charlies. He looked over at her seriously, his jaw set tautly. A soft smile tugged the corner of her lips as she was overwhelmed by her feelings for him. As if being released by something she couldn’t see, he relaxed, smiling back.

 

 

 

*

“I know how to mount a broom, Andre,” Ari complained. It was cold, a chilly October morning. Morning was really an understatement. Andre had dragged her out of bed before the sun had risen out to the Qudditch pitch.

“Are you sure? Your technique is sloppy,” he told her, watching her with disdain.

“How? One leg on either side of a broom, how could that look like anything else?”

“Watch me,” he instructed, climbing smoothly onto his broom. She saw no difference and told him so. He scoffed.

“Just kick off, let’s go.”

She did, both hands on the broom and guided it up to meet him, high above the ground.  
“I just want to state, for the record, that I _hate_ this.”

“It’s been noted and allow me a rebuttal: I don’t care. Let’s go. Time to weave. Back and forth, Ari.”

Andre was gifted, which made his training all the more infuriating. Ari had no natural talent on a broom and it showed. Andre was not the most patient of teachers, either. Charlie had offered, but Ari felt like their relationship didn’t need the added strain of Charlie trying to make her a proficient flyer, and Barnaby was already doing so much.

Andre had also insisted he do it. Ari knew it was going to be a disaster. Andre had no idea of the scope of how bad she was, but Madame Hooch had given up in her third year of making her good.

“That’s…better…” Andre finally said, watching Ari clear the floating hoops he’d set up.

“I knocked one of the hoops to the ground,” she told him, indicating the hoop on the ground.

He winced. “True, but it was only one hoop, which is more than I expected.”

“Nice to know you’ve got high hopes.”

When they landed and were heading back to the castle for breakfast, Andre told her, “I think we can do this without losing our humanity.”

She faltered. “What do you mean?”

“We don’t…you don’t have to _become_ Jacob to beat him. Ariadne, as you are, is just as strong, maybe stronger. Your humanity…your goodness…that’s what makes you strong. Jacob’s inability to recognize that makes him weak. Brute strength is worthless if it doesn’t have compassion. Just look at Barnaby for proof of that.”

She stopped, blinking against the bright morning sun. “Thank you, Andre. I needed that.”

He smiled at her. “I just want you to remember who you are.”

 

*

Ari slid into Gryffindor table where Ben, Charlie, and Barnaby were already eating. There was plenty of space to sit next to Charlie, which always made her happy.

“How did flying go?” Charlie asked, looking over at Andre at the Ravenclaw table.

“I was awful, and Andre was a saint, as usual,” she told him before gulping down juice.

“Mail!” Barnaby said, interrupting what promised to be an interrogating from Charlie. Ari recognized the Weasley owl, Errol, swoop down and drop two book sized packages on Charlies plate.

“Oh man, my eggs!” He groaned. Barnaby had gotten a letter from his own haughty black bird.

“Anything good?” She asked, buttering a piece of toast.

“This is for you,” he told her, handing over one of the parcels. She smiled, grabbing it from across the table and unwrapped the packaging. It was a book, bright pink, with no lettering on the outside.

“Your mum sent me a book?” She asked. Charlies book was exactly the same only a blue cover. He shrugged, opening the cover.

Ari flipped the book open to the middle, where it seemed like a lot of paper was folded into the spine. What unfolded would haunt Ari until she died. It was a diagram of the male anatomy, labeled with every part and a description of what they did. She slammed the book shut.

“Did she send something useful?” Barnaby asked, mouth filled with sausage. Ari looked up at Charlie, his own face horrified.

“Did she…” he asked Ari, eyes huge.

“Yeah,” she blinked. “Did you _say_ something to her that might have made her think this was…necessary?”

“NO!” He said too loudly. “No, I swear, I would _never_.”

She nodded her head, eyes wide and staring at the table. “Well Charlie, this has been nice, but I will see you again next week, which is about the amount of time it will take to pretend this never happened.”

“Yep, no, that sounds very reasonable,” he agreed, getting up at the same time she did. He extended his hand and she shook it and then without another word they turned in opposite directions and walked away.

“What just happened?” Barnaby asked, bewildered. Ben shrugged.

“I find it’s best to just not question things.”

 

*

“Look at what I found!” Ari slammed a piece of paper down on the table. “Masquerade HALLOWEEN ball! Fun, right?”

“Halloween?” Tonks asked, screwing up her face. “Can’t do it, I have a standing detention date with Filch.”

“Yeah, and I really need to be studying,” Rowan told her, frowning.

“Quidditch,” Barnaby and Andre said together.

“Sneak out of the castle? On Halloween? Hard pass,” Ben told her.

“Have you thought about just making it a nice date with Charlie?” Penny suggested.

“That’s a good idea! I know a passage way out of the castle straight to Hogsmeade, if you can get past Filch.” Tonks told her. “I think I know all the passage ways in and out, actually.”

“Charlie has got Quidditch practice, I’m sure he does,” Ari grumbled disappointed.

“No way,” Andre told her. “Ravenclaw and Slytherin are having a mock game that night, he won’t have the field. You should ask him.”

“You really think so?”

“Definitely,” Rowan told her, handing her the flyer. “It’ll be a fun night for you both, and you guys deserve it.”

Ari bounced up. “Okay, I’m gonna ask him!”

The group watched her walk out before exhaling together.

“That was so close,” Tulip said.

“I really thought she would call bullshit the second I said mock game,” Andre commented.

“She doesn’t know enough about Quidditch to dispute it,” Penny said.

“So, we’re all in agreement we break into the final vault on Halloween?” Tonks confirmed.

“Not at all, it sounds like an awful idea,” Ben complained.

“Yes,” Tulip said firmly, overriding Ben. “Let’s see what’s inside, once and for all.”

 

*

Rowan was grateful that Ari didn’t seem to notice how preoccupied everyone was. She was too wrapped up in getting her hair pulled back just right and binding her mask to her face in a way that wouldn’t cause it to never come off.

“You look amazing,” Rowan said truthfully, looking at Ari in a midnight blue gown, a feathered mask covering her forehead down to the bridge of her nose. “Charlie will have no idea who you are.”

She frowned.

“I want to him to recognize me a little.”

“I was joking, Ari. Go have fun and tell me everything when you get back.”

Ari scampered off, leaving Rowan blissfully alone, ready to enact the first phase of their plan. It was simple: get to the forbidden forest without being caught.

So direct and yet so many possibilities for things to go wrong. Any one of them getting caught would be a tip off that they were all out, and the plan would immediately unravel.

“I left a box of fireworks outside the Gryffindor common room, with a note for Filch on them. At any moment the Weasley twins should find them, which will provide- “A loud series of bangs went off. “The perfect cover,” Tonks finished.

“Let’s go,” Penny hissed. The three Hufflepuffs took off, peering carefully around every corner, but making it outside without being noticed.

They were the last ones to arrive. Tulip was pacing impatiently down at the edge of the forest.

“I thought you’d been caught,” she complained.

“Hagrid’s going to catch us if we don’t get moving,” Andre interrupted, motioning towards the brooms on the ground. “Grab one and stick to the plan.”

“You and Barnaby distract the dragon. We’ll open the vault,” Penny reiterated. “We know it, it’s simple, let’s get in and out.”

“What about the sacrifice?” Ben asked, looking at the trees nervously.

“I have a knife!” Tulip hissed.

“Put that away, there is not going to be any sacrificing tonight!” Penny told Tulip. “I’m pretty sure that’s a lie.”

“We have to be back by midnight,” Rowan reminded them. ‘That’s when Ari and Charlie are back. They aren’t supposed to know we were doing this.”

“Then let’s get moving.”

 

*

Tonks had been right about the secret passage way. Ari heard her fireworks explode and slipped in without being noticed at all. She left a bag right at the entrance, so she could change out of her dress before sneaking back into the castle. If she got caught, she didn’t want to have to worry about being honest about where she’d been.

Charlie seemed to have a similar idea, his bag already stashed. He was in the same dress robes from the ball last year. “Get used to these,” he told her as they walked through the passage. “You will be seeing them again.”  
“They look nice on you,” she complimented. They did. He had a simple black mask over his eyes, his hair neatly combed back and held at the nape of his neck with a ribbon. Usually the front pieces, much shorter than the rest, hung in his eyes. She realized he had spent some time in front of the mirror. “You look nice on you.”

“That is an odd compliment, but I’ll take it,” he chuckled. They followed the path up to some stairs and pushed the trap door open to reveal the inside of the Three Broom Sticks.

“It’s weird when it’s empty,” she said, taking the hand he offered and stepping out. They went out the back, through the kitchen, walked through the alley, and into the courtyard in Hogsmeade village. Ari smiled at the decorations. Twinkling lights on strings hung above a makeshift dance floor. Bales of hay marked the edges, with little carved jack-o-lanterns sitting on top, flickering in the night. Beyond that, tables for sitting and talking were scattered about in no real pattern. A band above the dance floor was playing a song Ari didn’t recognize. It was already packed and while Ari was certain they were not the only Hogwarts students there, she was confident they would not be recognized.

“Dance?” He asked.

Dance,” she agreed.

 

*

As usual, things were going so far off plan that the original plan looked like a half-baked schemed dreamt up by a bunch of first years. “How is it chasing us and raining fire down on us at the same time?” Tulip asked, ducking from another fiery blast. “How is that possible?”

“Will you shut up and just help?” Rowan snapped, trying another spell at the door. “We’re never going to get it open if I’m the only one doing anything!”

“Oh, I guess I thought it would be nice to not die, I know, crazy!”

Another blast shot towards them, narrowly missing Rowan. “What is happening up there?!”

 

Barnaby and Andre were having a hell of a time. The dragon was pissed and fast and no matter how they tried to distract her, she always seemed one step ahead of them. They were painfully aware of the barrage their friends were taking from the ground. Barnaby’s tail was singed, and he didn’t know how much longer he could take this.

“We’re going to have to make a break for it soon,” he shouted at Andre.

“Let’s try and get her a little south!” Andre called back. “Make it easier for everyone else to get out!”

Barnaby signaled his agreement and circled around, avoiding being slapped by the massive tail end of the dragon. He shot a stunning spell, which didn’t do anything but infuriate her, hoping to draw her attention towards him and away from his friends on the ground. She snarled at him, huge wings beating towards him.

“That’s it,” he muttered, waiting another beat. “Come to daddy.”

 

*

“I can’t believe no one wanted to come!” Ari laughed as Charlie lead her off the dance floor and into an empty table. “This is so fun!”

“Maybe it’s so fun because it’s just us,” he agreed as a server dropped two drinks off in front of them.

“Maybe.” She inhaled the chilly night air, excited just to be out, doing something she wasn’t supposed to. She didn’t have to carry the weight of the world on her shoulders all the time. It felt good to do something carefree and harmlessly reckless

Especially if she was doing it with Charlie. She’d been so embarrassed when his mom had sent her the book on sex, and anatomy, because the last thing she wanted to think about was her boyfriend’s mom worrying about them having unprotected sex, but the book had actually been useful. No one here talked about that at all, and her own mother hadn’t either. Ari’s knowledge was woefully bereft until she poured through it, soaking the information up like a sun-dried sponge.

The entire book was a literal lifetime’s worth of education, and she was tempted to send his mom a thank you basket of fruit or snacks or flowers but she didn’t want to announce to the Weasley family that she had plans to sleep with their son. Let that be something that was just assumed, she decided. Once they moved in together no one would be able to doubt they weren’t, she figured. If it happened before then, who had to know?

Except…she didn’t know how to facilitate it. She was interested, definitely. But beyond kissing, her and Charlie had gotten nowhere. He was respectful to a fault, which she appreciated, but lately she was itching to be alone somewhere with him and see what happened. They didn’t even have to have sex. He could just take all his clothes off and let her look at him.

Did she just ask him? _Charlie, I want to see you naked_ felt wrong. She imagined it like a scene out of her favorite book. Spontaneous and romantic. Real life seemed more difficult. For one, she had no idea what she was doing. She also didn’t think he did, either. They were definitely going to have to talk it out.

She just didn’t know how.

“You okay? You look…upset?” He guessed.

 She scooted her chair closer. “What if I said that I wanted to see you naked?” She asked, deciding to go for it.

He choked on his drink. “What?”

“I was reading the book your mom gave me and I started thinking that maybe I’d like to…?” Her voice trailed off and she wished she’d never said anything about it at all.

“I- uh…I mean…if you want to- “an explosion in the distance interrupted the conversation.

“What was that?” Ari asked, standing up. It was rhetorical, she knew exactly what it was. It was their friends, blowing something up on the castle grounds. Why?

 

*

Tonks was setting off fireworks. “Why do you have fireworks in your robe?” Penny demanded, watching Tonks light them from the ground.

“Why don’t you?”

The plan was officially sideways. The dragon had come close to killing Barnaby and Andre, none of them had been able to crack open the vault, and they couldn’t lure the dragon away so they could make an escape. So, Tonks started lighting off fireworks.

“We’re going to get caught,” Ben moaned, watching fireworks scream into the sky, exploding in a dazzling array of lights. The dragon was panicking, flying off into the distance.

“Better than dead!” Tulip yelled, mounting her broom. “Let’s go!” They took off into the sky, even as Tonks’ fireworks continued to explode around them. Barnaby’s face looked burned. They streaked away, hoping they could escape inside without being noticed.

 

It was definitely too much to hope for. Snape and McGonagall were waiting for them at the castle entrance. Snape was practically glowering as McGonagall looked ready to explode.

“I thought,” she practically whispered, “After last year’s disaster, I would NEVER find this group anywhere near that forest again. And yet, here you all are, barely two months into the school year and you’re attempting to start a forest fire. Pray tell, what were you doing in there?”

“A…harmless Halloween prank?” Tonks volunteered.

Snape frowned. “I count seven…where are Young and Weasley?”

McGonagall’s eyes were huge. “If you’re covering for them- “

“They’re in bed!” Rowan said quickly, looking for a clock. There was no way Ari and Charlie would be back by now. “They were doing other things tonight, I swear they’re not still in there-“

“What. Other. Things?”

“You know how they are…the pair of lovebirds…it’s honestly _shocking_ they aren’t engaged to be honest, what with all the sneaking around…er...platonic sneaking I mean, they are exceptionally platonic in their relationship,” Tonks spluttered, trying to buy time.   
“Take them to a classroom while I attempt to verify this story,” McGonagall snapped, rounding on her heel. Snape’s lip curled into a smile.

“With pleasure.”

 

*

Backs to each other, Ari and Charlie changed quickly, shoving their dress clothes into their bags. “What do you think Tonks did?” She asked, peeking out into the empty corridor.

“It’s very possible it was my brothers,” he said, indicating the coast was clear. She followed behind him in her sleep shorts and a Gryffindor emblazoned t-shirt. Ahead of her, Charlie wore a Quidditch team shirt and his usual tan pants. He had managed to ruffle his hair while changing and pieces of it were sticking out at strange angles from the ribbon. She undone her own hair and thrown it in a messy pony tail. If they were caught, she planned to say they had snuck off to be alone. It definitely looked like they did.

They turned the corner towards the Hufflepuff common room and found Filch, back to them, standing in their way. Charlie grabbed Ari by the hand and took off in the opposite direction before Filch could see them.

“Just stay with me tonight,” he whispered as they climbed up stairs.

“Anything to avoid Filch.”

“Ow, my pride,” he said, leading her to the portrait. The fat lady didn’t seem to notice Ari didn’t belong. Maybe it was Ari’s shirt. Like so many things, she’d stolen it from Bill years earlier. The common room was thankfully empty leaving Ari and Charlie to silently climb up the stairs to his room.

“Is Ben gone?” She whispered as they climbed into his bed. Charlie drew the curtains.

“Maybe he’s out blowing stuff up with Tonks.”

She crawled under the blankets next to him, snuggling into his chest “That seems impossibly unlikely.”

“So…” he began, playing with one of her curls splayed out on his chest, “Do you really want to see me naked?”

She looked up at him. “Don’t you?”

“Yeah…I just…I didn’t think _you_ did.”

She didn’t answer, instead scooting up so she could hover over him. He was hard to see, his face barely perceptible in the dark of the dormitory, but still so, so beautiful. She traced the line of his jaw with her finger before pressing her lips down on his.

It promised to be a night she would never forget, had it not been for McGonagall ripping the curtain back, wand illuminating the room.

“Weasley! Young!” She cried, obviously surprised to see them. Ari and Charlie flew apart, Charlie falling off the other side of his bed in surprise.

“Professor!” Ari said, eyes wide. “Is everything okay?”

“What are you doing here?” She demanded, shocked but not for the reasons Ari thought.

“It’s my fault,” Charlie said, standing up from the floor. “I kept her out too late and convinced her to stay. You should punish me.”

“And…you two have been here the entire time?”

They both nodded.

“You weren’t in the Forbidden Forest?”

They shook their heads.

“Well. I can’t say I’m not disappointed in you Mr. Weasley, but I can’t imagine you had to do much convincing Ms. Young to stay. Girls in boy’s dormitories are forbidden, you both know that. As Head Boy and Head Girl I expect better of the pair of you.”

“I understand,” Charlie said.

“I’ll walk you to Hufflepuff, Ms. Young. Don’t let me catch you two together like this again.”

 


	13. One Foot

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I don't know why I want to keep this one specific thing close to canon, but I do. It feels in character? 
> 
> And thank you for all the comments, the kudos, or just reading this. Sorry for being so late with it! I try and get it up on Friday's, and I will continue to do so!

 

_Well out here in the dust if you don't have trust ain't nothing left of us, this is the exodus_

_They're just testing us, they can't flex with us, they can't mess with us_

_Through the wilderness how come there can be loneliness?_

_Oh, our hearts a mess but it's our only defense to brave the wilderness_

_Cross my heart and hope to die, taking this one step at a time_

_I've got your back if you've got mine, one foot in front of the other_

_All that we have is each other_

 

 

 

 

 

“How did you two get off with just losing house points?” Rowan grumbled, looking out at the beautiful November sky. It was a Hogsmeade weekend and everyone but Ari and Charlie would be spending it in detention.

“We weren’t _doing_ anything,” Ari responded as she pulled on tight, light blue jeans.

“Being alone in a boy’s dorm definitely feels like a detention worthy offense.”

“Sure,” Ari’s words were muffled as she pulled a dark green shirt over her head. “ _Usually_ it is but I think her anger with us was softened by the fact that you guys were trying to blow the Forbidden Forest up.”

“We weren’t trying to blow it up, we were trying not to die.”

Ari pulled her hair back into a pony tail, trying to hide her irritation. Her friends had attempted to open the last cursed vault without her. They hadn’t succeeded, which gave her a small, selfish amount of pleasure. All they’d found were strange symbols etched into the stone door that had been set into the tree. Rowan was going to sketch them for Ari later and see if it was anything she recognized after she got out of detention. Ari and Charlie were wasting a perfectly good Hogsmeade visit on research, trying to find anything that talked about what might be in the vaults, or how one might go about creating one.

 “Regardless,” Ari said, turning back to Rowan. “It’s a good thing not all of us are in trouble. Professor McGonagall thinks you guys were pulling a stupid prank, and that Charlie and I have refocused our attention on each other. It will make getting into the vault easier if they don’t suspect us.”

“No, I think at this point all the teachers are constantly suspicious of us.”

“Well after this we need to work hard to give them no reason to. We’re not opening it until after we’ve finished our N.E.W.T.s, just to be safe.” Ari was adamant about this. She was worried if they tried to open them sooner they might be finally expelled. She was hedging her bets by making sure everyone had taken their exams and the year was nearly done before opening it. They were practically graduated by then.

Maybe they could deal with Jacob as graduates, instead of students. It was a new hope, but one she clung to nonetheless. Anything that bought her a little more time.

 

She couldn’t say she was disappointed to be alone with Charlie again. He met her at the entrance, handsome as always in his tan pants and red sweater. He had his bag strapped across his chest and his hair in his usual messy ponytail.

“Just us again,” he grinned, wrapping an arm around her shoulder.

“I know, what a bummer,” she smiled back, falling in to step. Just because they had sleuthing to do didn’t mean they couldn’t enjoy doing it.

“Excuse me, pardon me!” George Weasley shoved in between them, as if he was in an incredible hurry.

“Leave space for Merlin,” Fred added, walking through the space George created seconds earlier.

“Its what mum would want!” They shouted in unison, backs to Ari and Charlie. Charlie looked sheepish.

“It must be so fun having your younger siblings at school with you,” she teased, closing the gap.

“So, so fun.”

 

The bookstore was useless. Charlie and Ari poured through books all morning, looking for any mention of the cursed vaults or that might explain the symbol. “Rowan seemed to think it looked new,” Ari told Charlie. “But magic might just make it look that way. I think it’s better to assume it’s really, really old.”

Charlie handed her a book. “‘Hogwarts: A History’ is probably the only book that’s going to be useful and even I’m not so sure about that.”

“I think Rowan has read this,” Ari sighed, handing it back. “We’ve never found much mention of the cursed vaults.”

“No one knows anything about the vaults because literally only you and Jacob have ever opened them.”

“Well then I will write a book so that when our children get here they have a proper guide.”

Charlie, who had been reshelving the book, froze, hand still gripping the spine. “Our children?” He clarified. Ari, still too frustrated to understand the implications of what she said, continued.

“It will be a massive, five-hundred-page behemoth with drawings and detailed explanations of everything lurking inside. I might even hide a little treasure in each vault, just to make it worth their while.”

He shoved the book back in and faced her. “Sure, but _our_ children?”

“Oh.”

He nodded.

“Well…it was a…it was more of a general…our children, like you know, the universes children.”

They walked back out into the air. Charlie was frowning. “Do you want children?”

She sighed. “A curse breaker and a dragonologist for parents? What school would take them?”

“I always just thought I’d be more of a fun uncle,” he told her.

“There’s time, to figure all this out,” Ari agreed. She didn’t know what she wanted.

“Definitely,” he agreed. They walked silently for a while, both lost in the possibilities of the future. While Ari had never given children much thought, Charlie had, and he knew without a doubt he did not want them. He had liked growing up surrounded by brothers, but he’d also seen the toll it had taken on his parents. They’d given up so many of their own dreams for their kids and Charlie didn’t want to give up his dreams to raise kids.

He didn’t want Ari to give hers up, either. He didn’t know anyone in the Wizarding world who didn’t keep their wife at home once a child was born, unless they had so much money that someone else could watch them. He didn’t know what Ari’s financial situation was like, but he definitely could not afford to pay for a housekeeper.

Could he ask Ari to give up curse breaking so he could work with dragons all day? He knew, deep down, he couldn’t, so he wouldn’t. He had an image of what life with Ari would be like post Hogwarts. She’d curse break, he’d work with dragons. They’d live in a cabin in the woods, somewhere quiet. All the danger that had dogged her would be gone. Maybe they’d have a lot of cats, or something. Sometimes he pictured a vegetable garden that they worked in when they weren’t gone. Children didn’t factor in. Let his brothers have children. He’d be the fun uncle.

 

*

“This came for you at breakfast today,” Rowan told Ari, plopping a massive package down in front of her. Ari and Ben were already sitting in charms, waiting for class to start.

“From who?” She asked, unwrapping the brown paper. On top was a large, worn book with a cracked, brown cover. She flipped it open.

“What is it?” Ben asked, curious. A letter was folded into the cover of what was obviously a baby book.

“Oh my gosh is that baby Ari?” Penny asked, looking down from her seat above Ben, Ari, and Charlie. “Look at how fat you were!”

“You had a lot of hair for a baby. Do babies have that much hair?” Tulip asked, frowning down at the picture of the fat, curly, red haired baby shoving her toes in and out of her mouth.

“Babies can have hair, Tulip,” Charlie said from his spot next to Ben. He didn’t look up from the picture he was sketching. A quick glance told Ari he was lovingly drawing dragon scales, making sure every detail was meticulously quilled in.

Ari handed the book to Rowan, who began flipping through pages with Tonks and awing, as she read the letter.

 

_Ariadne,_

_I wish we had left things between us better. I regret so much about your childhood, and I want you to know that your father and I did our best. We weren’t perfect parents, but we loved you and Jacob more than we ever loved anything else. One day, when you have children, you will understand._

_I am sending you a book from your younger years, when things weren’t so terrible. We were happy once, and I want you to remember that. Hold on to these memories of your family and your life as you begin a new one. Don’t forget where you came from, or your family._

_You may not understand it now, but we did what we did to protect you both._

_Love,_

_Mom and Dad_

Ari folded the piece of paper up, frustrated. She didn’t want positive, happy family memories, especially when she knew that Jacob had never liked her, and her parents had been scared to leave the two of them alone. Even now, her mom was making excuses and trying to erase what they’d done. She didn’t blame her parents for who Jacob was, but she blamed them for not doing something about it, even when he’d proven how dangerous he was. How could they justify that? Love wasn’t about enabling, sometimes love had to be calling someone’s behavior out.

She glanced over at Charlie, her mind floating back to their awkward conversation about children. He had mentioned he’d always thought he’d be a fun uncle before changing the subject, which had filled her with relief. Ari had been certain for a while that she didn’t want kids, but in this moment, thinking about her brother, she knew for sure she didn’t. Did she want to take a chance passing on the genes that had created him to another child? No, she thought. She didn’t.

 Let Pasaphe’s legacy die with her and Jacob.

*

She was supposed to be monitoring the halls. Sprout had reminded her that she’d been shirking her duties as head girl, which wasn’t entirely true. Her and Charlie often went out to survey the school for misbehaving students, and just as often ended up alone in a closet somewhere. She suspected Professor Sprout was aware of this, which was why she had sent Ari to the complete opposite end of the castle from Charlie. It was fine, she thought. Maybe some space would be good for them. Ari was on the edge of a full-blown panic attack and the only thing that was really stopping her from falling off was the constant presence of other people.

She was never alone, and that wasn’t on accident. She couldn’t stand having to listen to her own thoughts or confront the possibility that things weren’t okay. She was pretending so hard for everyone around her that sometimes she almost believed her own lies. The only person who really knew was Barnaby, and that was because she couldn’t lie in her memories. He was digging through her mind now, looking at all her interactions with Jacob, each lesson becoming more and more aggressive. They’d had one the day before and Barnaby had offered no quarter.

She stopped and leaned against the cool, stone wall of the castle and closed her eyes. She didn’t think she could beat Jacob, not really. She didn’t want to hurt him, she wanted to change his mind and bring him home and she knew it wasn’t realistic. Only one of them would come home. She wasn’t ruthless, and she wasn’t strong like he was.

She sank down the wall, trying to catch her breath. She didn’t have to do this, she reminded herself. She could walk away. She was still a girl, she’d suffered enough. Surely Dumbledore could handle this, right? She could tell him everything and ask him to deal with it? Right?

No. The adults in her life didn’t think Jacob was anymore than a delusional man, crazy from the dark magic needed to open the cursed vaults. Besides, she’d told her parents already, Jacob was her responsibility. She had to go, even if she didn’t think she could win. Her friends would take up the mantle in her place.

In that moment, she missed Bill more than she’d ever missed anyone. Bill would know what to do. He wouldn’t panic or become over protective. He was her true partner, an equal, someone she could be honest with, who would know what to do, or at least know how to help her. Bill had been gone for the last two years and nothing had gone right since, curse-wise.

“Hey, are you okay?” Charlie Weasley’s voice cut through her panicked thoughts. She opened her eyes to find him standing in front of her, eyes worried and hand extended. She took it and let him help her back up to her feet.

“Just worried about my N.E.W.T.s,” she lied. Charlie would become impossibly over protective if he knew she was worried she might die. He looked worried in that moment, his blue eyes scanning her face, hand still gripping hers. He looked like he wanted to say something but thought better of it and let her go, nodding.

“Did you find anyone out of bed?” He asked, falling in to step with her. She shook her head.

“It’s been a quiet night,” she admitted. They made their way towards the court yard, a familiar hang out spot. Charlie pushed the doors open and cool air brushed against her face. She exhaled slowly, trying to push all her worries out with it.

“You know,” he said, stepping out into the night, “You could tell me what’s bothering you, if you wanted.”

She glanced over at him quickly. He was staring out into the night, his back to her. “Nothing is bothering me.”

He turned around, his face illuminated by the moonlight and she felt ashamed. He knew she was lying to him, but what could she tell him? That there was a genuine chance she might die at the end of the year, that Jacob was a hundred times more dangerous than she’d let on and no amount of preparation was going to make her good enough to fight him. That her hopes of bringing him home were the dream of a little girl.

What would he say? Would he help her open the cursed vault, or beg her not to go? Forbid her from going? Get in her way, paint a target on his back, get himself killed too?

The urge to tell him everything was overwhelming in that moment and she had to fight it. She had to do this, no matter the personal cost, and she didn’t want their time together overshadowed by this knowledge. Charlie was happy not knowing. He’d been so normal all year, navigating this relationship with her.

“Okay,” he said. He turned back to the castle instead of calling her out on her lie, and she followed him.

 

*

“Detention free!” Penny cheered, flopping into a chair in the Hufflepuff common room. “I was starting to think we’d never be free.”

“Filch must have made us clean every piece of silver in the castle,” Tonks groaned, dropping face first onto the floor like she was an animation and not a person. “Let me die here.”

“I’m just glad you guys are back,” Ari said. “I was getting bored hanging out alone all the time.”

“What, no Charlie to keep you company?” Penny asked, laying her head in Ari’s lap.

“Quidditch has stolen him from me once again.”

“Oooh, he’s playing Slytherin next week, isn’t he?”

“Yeah, Barnaby has vanished, too,” Ari grumbled. “I’ve just been here, _studying._ ”

“A nightmare.” Tonks voice was muffled by the floor.

“Apparently scouts have been coming out to see them play. Andre has spoken of nothing else.” Rowan told them, picking up one of Ari’s books and flipping through it. “Why are you reading about Manticores?”

“There’s one hiding in the forest, supposedly.”

“I didn’t think Barnaby or Charlie wanted to play professionally?” Penny asked.

“No,” Ari said, “But they still want to win.”

“Who are we rooting for?”

“Gryffindor,” Ari and Tonks said in unison.

“Slytherin,” Rowan grimaced.

“Maybe I’ll just wear Hufflepuff colors and stay neutral.”

 

The day of the game was tense. Barnaby stayed at his table for breakfast instead of joining them in the middle at Hufflepuff. On the opposite end at the Gryffindor table Charlie sat in the middle of his team, serious faced as he spoke. The rest of them sat in the middle, watching.

“I know Quidditch has never really been an issue before, but they look…” Rowan was watching Barnaby nervously.

“Intense,” Andre supplied. “They’re taking it seriously. Whoever wins is that much closer to the cup.”

“Who are you hoping for?” Tonks asked Andre. He shook his head.

“Today, I’m just all about Ravenclaw.”

“There’s Ari, being subtle as usual,” Tulip laughed as Ari strode in in dark washed jeans and a Gryffindor jersey with ‘Weasley’ written on the back. Rowan turned to the staff table to see Professor Sprout watching Ari hurry in, eyes narrowed.

“She’s really trying to give Sprout a reason to take house points away,” Rowan said.

“Sorry I’m late,” Ari said. “I couldn’t find a shirt.”

“Yeah and what a shirt it is,” Tulip commented. “They ought to make you an official Weasley any day now.”

Ari flicked a piece of scrambled egg at Tulip. “As if you’d be any different if Penny were the one up there.”

“Oh, no, let’s be clear. I would be much, MUCH less subtle than you.” Tulip said.

“Thanks babe,” Penny said, kissing her cheek.

The Gryffindor team stood, Slytherin as well, facing each other as the entire breakfast hall grew quiet. Ari looked over at Charlie but he was making serious eye contact with Barnaby, Syltherin’s team Captain. Ari twisted to look at Barnaby, a scowl etched into his handsome features. They looked, in that moment, like sworn enemies and not close friends.

“Oooh, I can’t wait to see this game,” Andre whispered, watching the two teams leave.

“Do you think they’ll still be friends at the end?” Tonks asked.

“Of course!” Ari declared. “Better together,” she said, echoing a thought she’d had often. The nine of them were good alone, but better together.

“Huh?”

Ari shook her head. “We’re better together.”

 

It was overcast and cold outside, with rain threatening to spill over at any moment. Rowan had insisted they all bring rain ponchos, a smart move Ari decided as she looked up at an unforgiving sky.

“There’s the scouts.” Andre pointed several people sitting where their professors usually sat. Snape and McGonagall were, instead, seated among their students. Ari couldn’t see the Slytherin head from where she sat but she wondered if he genuinely enjoyed the game or came but it was expected of him. Snape didn’t seem like the kind of person who found enjoyment in anything.

“Do you think Snape ever loved anyone?” Ari asked, voicing her thoughts out loud.

“Snape?” Tonks asked, incredulously. “Never.”

“You need a heart to feel love,” Rowan added.

“Snape is pretty joyless.” Penny said thoughtfully. “Although brilliant at potions.”

Ari shrugged. “Just wondered.”

“Wonder less about Snape’s love life and more about your own,” Ben told her. “The teams are coming out now and if you don’t cheer, how will Charlie play?”

Ari elbowed Ben hard but leaned against the railing to watch them come into the air. Unlike last game, there was no posturing for her. He was already in position far above her, eyes fixed on Madame Hooch. She released the snitch, threw the quaffle into the air, and the game began.

 

“Slytherin isn’t giving them anything,” Andre commented, watching Barnaby viciously beat another quaffle out of scoring range.

Above them, thunder rumbled. Ari looked up as a raindrop splashed on her face. Playing in a storm never stopped anyone from playing, but it did make the game a lot more dangerous. It seemed like someone always got injured when rain started.

“Let’s hope Charlie finds the Snitch soon,” Ari said, pulling the hood of her poncho up.

It didn’t take long for the rain to start pouring down, hard and cold. The game was more difficult to see and Tulip, Penny, and Ben along with a lot of other people, headed indoors. Ari stayed with Rowan, Andre, and Tonks, concerned for her friends. Occasionally someone would fly past them, put the game remained a mystery.

Lightning lit the sky up and the stands went insane. Charlie was mid-dive while Slytherin’s chaser was nowhere to be found.

“Oh, thank Merlin,” Rowan said, heading towards the stands. From the other side of the stands people began screaming.

“Did Slytherin catch it?” Ari asked, looking down. She could see green robes, and red robes on the ground, but nothing else. From the air, the other players were flying down.

“They crashed!” Andre realized, looking over the railing. People were flooding onto the field and Ari jumped up to join them, but Andre caught her.

“Let Madame Pomfrey do her job.”

“He might be hurt!” She said, trying to wrench her arm out of his grip. Andre didn’t let up.

“Yeah and you being down there isn’t going to fix anything! You’ll just be in the way!”

“Andre!”

“Let’s go to the hospital wing, okay?”

Ari jerked her arm away but didn’t argue. By the time they reached the ground, all the players were gone and people were going back in. Ari trudged through the mud, silently seething. Around her, people in red and gold were bouncing up and down. Gryffindor must have still won.

_At what cost?_ She wondered angrily.

“You should get used to this,” Andre told her gently once they were inside. Ari pulled her poncho off and dropped it on the ground. Let Filch deal with it.

“He doesn’t want to play professionally,” she reminded Andre.

“What do you think is more dangerous, broomsticks or dragons? Haven’t you thought about what a future with him will be like at all?”

She paused. She had never really considered what life might be like, post Hogwarts. Her fantasies usually started and stopped in a cabin in the woods, with Charlie in various states of undress. She wanted to be a curse breaker, though. That was as dangerous as dragons were. What would life really be like? The two of them, crawling home after a terrifying day? Gone for weeks at a time, dealing with someone too difficult to put into words?

She wouldn’t be able to run after him every time he got hurt, and he wouldn’t be able to, either. She frowned at Andre.

“I think about it all the time.” She lied.

Flipping her hair over her shoulder she strode into the hospital wing. Charlie was sitting up, surrounded by his team and various other Gryffindor’s, his eye black and his arm in a sling. She pushed past them, standing at the end of his bed, hands on her hips.

“Hey Ari!” He smiled casually, like nothing had happened. “We won!”

She opened her mouth, angry, ready to tell him he took too many risks, but shut it when she remembered Andre’s question.

_A future with him._

She forced a smile on her face. “You were amazing.”

 

*

“Nothing will top last year’s ball,” Tulip said as she chopped for a potion they were supposed to be brewing. She was working with Penny, a clear advantage over Rowan and Ari. “Why even bother going?”

Penny looked at her, outraged. “I spent _months_ picking out the perfect dress! How dare you.”

“What was so good about it?” Ari wiped sweat from her forehead, peering into her cauldron. Was it supposed to be so purple? She felt like it should be a lighter lilac color.

“Merula got in so much trouble for spiking the punch. I don’t think you were around for that, though…” Tulip trailed off, remembering why Ari had taken off.

“Ari if you dump all that in you will cause an explosion,” Penny warned, watching as Ari started to push her chopped root into the cauldron at once. “You need to fold it in.”

“Fold it in, what does that mean?” Ari demanded.

“Fold it,” Tulip repeated.

“I don’t believe you’ve ever folded anything in your life,” Ari snapped, pulling her hair into a messy bun. How did Penny look so effortlessly good when standing over a boiling cauldron?

“Watch,” Penny said, taking the root Tulip had just finished chopping and gently dropping it into her cauldron as she stirred.

“That’s what I was doing!”

Rowan snatched the spoon from Ari and managed to keep them from blowing up. Snape offered a “passable,” when they brought it to him, which was high praise coming from someone who once told Ari to ‘walk into the center of the lake”.

 

“Dancing feels…frivolous,” Rowan said to Ari as they made their way to their next classes. “I just want to get into the cursed vault.”

“Me too, but we need to finish our N.E.W.T.s, first. Plus, don’t you want to at least _try_ and see what’s inside it?”

“A slow, painful death is my guess,” Rowan said glumly. “I’m just…I don’t know what’s going on with me and Barnaby. We study together. We spent the summer together. But we’ve never like…being _alone_ you know? Or…I don’t know. Have that sort of sexy chemistry that Penny and Tulip have.”

“Do you like him, still?” Ari asked.

“I don’t know,” Rowan said helplessly. “I think I do? But also, sometimes when things are going really well I tend to talk myself out of them and I also don’t know how to bring this up to him at all. How do you talk to Charlie?”

Ari did not think she was the sort of person who should be giving advice about good communication in relationships. “I just…say things, I guess? Charlie does so much of the work for me.”

“Barnaby isn’t really the talkative type.”  
“Yeah but _you_ are. Just…tell him what you told me.”

Rowan and Ari stopped at the corridor. Rowan had Muggle Studies while Ari was going to Divination. “He could do better, though, right?” Rowan asked anxiously. “Like, he’s so…and I’m…” she gestured down at herself.

“Barnaby couldn’t do better in a million years and he knows it,” Ari said firmly. Rowan smiled but didn’t feel convinced. It was easy for Ari to say. Ari made everything seem effortless. Rowan watched her walk away, soft curled hair swaying softly with each step she took. Ari had a confidence about her that attracted people and Rowan was no exception. Ari was pretty in an understated sort of way and always had been. Their whole bet had sprung from the way Charlie watched Ari and not the other way around. And look at them now. Charlie was easily the best catch in Hogwarts and Ari had him like it was casual.

Rowan wanted to be like that, walking through the castle with her boyfriend’s last name boldly emblazoned on her back like it was her right. Like it might be her last name someday.

She wasn’t like Ari, though. She knew she would never, ever bring it up to him but instead pine silently, hoping he did.

What she needed was a crash course in dating, and she couldn’t get it from Ari. Ari was right when she said Charlie did most of the work for her, which was why Ari couldn’t explain how she’d gotten Charlie. Charlie had been interested in Ari since forever and he always would be. For him it was a one and done kind of deal, and Ari had just lucked into him. She needed more concrete advice, from people who had dated multiple people.

She needed Penny and Andre.

 

*

“Career day!” Tonks said brightly. “We get to talk to someone who does our job, can you believe it?”

“I talk to them every day, I don’t see why they had to pull us out of class for this,” Rowan grumbled.

“ _Anything_ to get out of Divination,” Ari said, elbowing Barnaby knowingly.

“Professor Trelawney makes me feel smart,” he muttered darkly. He’d been in a foul mood ever since they lined up outside the Great Hall. The room was filling with fellow seventh years. Tonks, Ari, Rowan, and Barnaby were right next to the door where the heads of houses were waiting. None of them looked pleased.

“Don’t embarrass me,” Snape sneered at Barnaby.

“Double for you, Ms. Young…Ms. Tonks...” Sprout added.

Ari and Tonks put their hands over their heart in mock hurt. McGonagall opened the door and let them pour in.

“Where do you suppose Auror’s are?” Tonks asked, scanning the numerous booths.

“Uh…maybe by Ministry careers? Over there, it looks like,” Ari pointed. A familiar face near the ministry booth was grinning at her.

Bill was lounging right by the banking booth, a ridiculous smile plastered across his handsome face.

“Bill!” She broke away from her friends to give him a hug. He lifted her off her feet, squeezing tightly. “I didn’t know you’d be here!”

“I couldn’t let some other curse breaker snatch away my future partner,” he told her. As students passed them, she saw several girls eyeing him with interest. It was the fang earring, she decided. It made him look like a bad boy, which was hilarious to her.

“I would never betray you that way, except for a talking animal sidekick,” she told him seriously. He laughed.

“That’s fair, I can’t even be mad about that.”

“Seriously, why are you here?” She asked.

“I was being serious. Plus, I miss you guys. What kind of shenanigans have you gotten into?”

“Tonks tried to start a forest fire but other than that we’ve been pretty well behaved. We probably should start working harder to figure out how to get into the vault though. We have no plan.”

“Have you thought about the…” his voice trailed off. She knew exactly what he was talking about. Jacob’s sacrifice. She’d been trying so hard not to think about it, especially since her friends had tried and failed to get into the cursed vault.

“A little,” she admitted. “I’m afraid to say what I’m thinking out loud though.”

His easy smile faded, and she knew he knew what she was thinking. “I think it’s got to be my blood.” She bit her lower lip, feeling almost relieved at having said it to someone.

“I’ve been thinking that a lot, too. There are potions that can keep you from dying, help with the blood loss…spells that are…more efficient than knives. Have you been practicing at all?”

“We’ve worked on some things. Barnaby has been helping me with my dueling and Ben has been trying to teach me the Patronus charm, but I can’t come up with a happy enough memory to repel the boggarts and he’s also very afraid of the boggarts so half the time they ignore me completely to terrorize him.”

“Here, give me parchment and a quill,” he told her. She grabbed a roll and handed him her scroll and he began writing for her. “These are the spells you can try. Show them to Barnaby, because you’ll probably want someone else to do it for you, and then this potion will stop bleeding, and this one will help bring you back to health along with these two plants, you could probably grow them in the green house. You need to be really careful though, Ari or you could die. There’s about five pints of blood in the human body, but you can’t really lose more than three or four before there’s no coming back.”

“Bill to rescue, like always,” she tried to joke. His face was so serious as he wrote instructions down for her.

“I’m serious, Ari. I’ve been thinking a lot about this, and you should consider the possibility that Jacob will have altered this vault in a way that’s incredibly dangerous for you and losing a lot of your blood will be a way of weakening you.”

She nodded. “I’ll start preparing myself better.”

“You should also consider the possibility,” Bill was whispering now, his hand wrapped around her wrist, “That only one of you will make it out of this alive. I know you, and you’ll do everything to save him but I want you to promise me that if it comes down to you or him, you make sure you’re the one who comes home.”

She swallowed, looking up at him. His eyes were searching hers and she saw recognition in his own as her face betrayed her. She’d thought about this many, many times and she wasn’t confident that she would make it back home. Jacob was stronger and smarter and faster than she was. He knew spells she’d never even dreamed of. He was comfortable killing her and she wasn’t.

 “I will.” She saw it, the hurt flicker through his eyes, quick as a flash before he let go over her arm.

“If you need me, I’ll come.”

She knew he would. It was tempting, too. Bill was a grown wizard now, with real world experience, just like Jacob. Bill was probably a better match for Jacob, too. She couldn’t use Bill as a shield though. It would have to be her. She wasn’t willing to risk his life to save hers.

“It’s going to be okay,” she said brightly. “Before you know it, we’ll be living our best, most attractive lives.”

“I’m holding you to that,” he smiled back, his seriousness gone. “Don’t disappoint me.”

*

 

“Bill told me to give you this,” Ari told Barnaby later that night during their usual practice. “He wants you to learn them.”

Barnaby took the scrap of parchment from her, frowning as he recognized the spells written down. “What do I need these for?”

“When the moment comes, you need to use it on me,” she said simply, as if it was a normal request.

“Ari this will kill you.” He crumpled the paper in his hand.

“That’s the point. I think I have to almost die for us to get into the vault. I’m going to ask Penny to brew me a potion that will stop the bleeding before I actually die, but I need you to do this for me. You’re the only person who will.”

“You’re wrong. I’m not that kind of wizard.” He said flatly. She crossed over to him, putting her hands on his shoulders.

“Barnaby, if we don’t stop Jacob, people could die. What if he can bring back Voldemort, somehow? This isn’t an evil act, it’s a selfless act from a good wizard.”

“What if we fail?” He asked her softly.

“We won’t. Together, we can’t. We’re better together, okay? I know you won’t let me die. I trust you with my life.”

He nodded, uncrumpling the paper. “But if you die, Ari, I’ll kill you.”

She smiled, preparing herself for the assault on her mind that he was about to unleash on her.

“I’m counting on it.”

 

*

“I think we need to assume that Jacob may have made this vault, instead of stumbling on it,” Ari told her friends over the Hufflepuff dinner table. “Based on the very limited information we have about his last year.”

“We’d have more information if we had his journal,” Rowan complained bitterly. Ari couldn’t disagree with her. Jacob turned everything that might be helpful to them into a weapon and his journal was off the table after her friends last stunt in the forbidden forest. They were being watched carefully and couldn’t afford to waste another trip. The next time they went in they had to be serious about it.

“We don’t, though. We need to be preparing for the possibility that this vault will be vastly different than the others. Anything could be inside it.”

“Not anything,” Penny interrupted. She’d promised to brew Ari the potion, in secret, though she was unhappy about it. She didn’t like lying, or the idea that Ari might accidentally die if they waited too long. She was also privately brewing several other potions as contingency plans for different scenarios. “It’ll be specific to who Jacob was.”

“I don’t know who he was,” Ari said, her mind drifting back to the baby book her mother had sent. She’d tossed it aside and forgotten about it, but she knew there were pictures of Jacob in there, too. An unintentional clue? She resolved to go back through it and see what she could find.

“Well we need to figure it out,” Andre interrupted her thoughts. “Or at least, get an idea so we can prepare.”

“We need to just prepare for any possibility,” Charlie said. “And play up to our strengths.”

Ben and Tonks nodded.

“He’s just one deranged wizard. There are nine of us. How hard could this be?” Tulip asked. Ari’s stomach flipped. That was the problem. She had a feeling whatever was waiting on them was going to be incredibly difficult.

 

*

“In your seventh year, many of you will get engaged,” Professor Burbage, the muggle studies professor, began as soon as class started. “Many more after you graduate. You may even decide to have children.”

Next to Ari, Tulip rolled her eyes. Ari herself crossed her arms over her chest, eyebrows raised.

“Raising children are difficult, even more so without magic-“

“Oh no,” said Barnaby from across the room.

“Oh yes, Mr. Lee. Today you will be given infants and you will care for them. I want you to partner up to raise your infants without magic. Go ahead and get into your groups.”

Ari was frozen in her seat, along with the majority of the class, who were all staring anywhere but at each other. Professor Burbage let out a loud sigh. “If you don’t choose, I will do it for you,” she threatened. Tulip shrugged at the threat but others, Charlie included, jumped out of their chairs.

“Come on,” he said, dragging Ari up and over to his side of the room. Tulip and Barnaby became a reluctant pair, joining them.

“This is ridiculous,” Tulip complained. “I would never raise a child with a man. What do they know about infant care?”

“But you do want kids?” Charlie countered, seizing on the accidental slip. Tulip shot him a withering look.

“Don’t you?” She retorted.

“No,” Ari, Barnaby, and Charlie all said quickly. Charlie and Ari both looked at each other with twin expression of relief.

“How nice for you,” Tulip grumbled. Professor Burbage handed Ari and Tulip babies that somehow looked like them. Ari’s baby had red hair and blue eyes and a smattering of freckles on it’s face. Charlie peered down at the swaddled, plastic infant and frowned.

“This is sexist,” Tulip continued, shoving the baby into Barnaby’s arms. “She’s giving the baby to all the girls as if men couldn’t be dads, like they’re rubbish at is-“

“You literally just said ‘what do men know about childcare,’” Barnaby reminded her, looking at the dark haired, dark eyed baby in his awkward embrace.

“Shut up.”

 

“I always thought, if we did have kids, that it wouldn’t be so ugly,” Charlie complained half an hour later, bouncing a wailing baby in his arms. Ari pushed her hair off her sweaty forehead as she attempted for the third time to get the formula to water ratio right for a bottle.

“How dare you suggest that little cursed dragon is ugly.” They hadn’t been able to think of a good name, or any name for that matter, for the baby. Charlie had begun suggesting dragon types for names, and Ari slapped cursed in front of it, declaring that it wasn’t that deep. Professor Burbage had seemed disturbed when she came around asking for names and Charlie proudly announced their son, Cursed Dragon Weasley, as Ari stared at her shoes.

Next to them, Barnaby and Tulip were having a much easier time with baby Penelope. “I don’t know what the big deal is,” Tulip said as their baby napped sweetly in Barnaby’s arms. “All they do is eat, sleep, and poop. It’s not a science.”

“I think the baby can sense you hate it,” Barnaby added.

Ari looked down at the ginger baby. “Can you tell I don’t like you? Because I don’t. You’re mommy’s little demon yes you are.” She’d adopted a baby tone, which did not help. Tulip snatched the baby from them.

“You’re awful,” she declared as little Cursed Dragon began to settle down. Charlie and Ari gestured to each other, mouths open in outrage. “And you’d be terrible parents.”

“We’ve been saying that from the beginning,” Charlie told her.

“Seventeen years old should not be raising children,” Ari agreed.

“Well I’ve changed my mind. I want like, five of these,” Barnaby said, booping his sleeping babies’ nose.

“Does Rowan know that?” Ari asked.

“Rowan can work,” Barnaby said defensively. “I’ll be a stay at home dad.”

 

Charlie and Ari didn’t technically fail the assignment since they kept their baby alive, but Professor Burbage noted that they only managed that because Tulip and Barnaby intervened. They walked out of Muggle Studies awkwardly, a foot of space between them.

“Did you mean it, that you don’t want kids?” Ari asked once it was just the two of them.

Charlie opened his mouth to answer but then closed it, his head cocking slightly to the side. Ari followed his vision to the Weasley twins, leaning casually against a wall, hands behind their backs. Charlie walked towards them and Ari followed.

“What’s going on?” He asked. Their faces erupted into grins.

“Nothing,” Fred said.

“Don’t have the slightest idea what you mean,” George added.

“You look suspicious,” Ari told them cheerfully.

“Ridiculous!”

Charlie began to say something when they heard a loud pop, followed by screams. Ari and Charlie turned to see the end of the hall, and everyone in it, covered in sticky green slime. Peeves was overhead, cackling gleefully, no doubt the culprit. Charlie turned back to his brothers.

“Did you-“

They had vanished. He blinked, and then looked back at Ari.

“I definitely, one hundred percent, never, ever want kids.”


	14. One Track Mind

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry for being so late, but also count on getting two new chapters in the next week, which will hopefully make up for how slow I was! :)

_A dark night, remember: the sunrise; surrender._

_There isn't any other way._

_Hand's tied, remember: it's suicide to surrender_

_There isn't any other way_

_I have a one track mind_

_There is a method to the madness; gotta have a one track mind._

 

 

No one was excited for the dance. Ari, Penny, and Rowan sat in their dorm, dressed formally, waiting.

“I think I should have just gone to the library,” Rowan finally said, hands in the huge skirt of her white, strapless ball gown.

“Tulip say’s we’ll regret not doing this someday,” Penny said, trying to make her voice sound bright. Her hunter green tea dress was carefully arranged on the bed, her legs folded underneath her.

“What does Tulip know?” Ari asked, laying flat on her back. Her own dress was probably five dress code violation, with it’s low, scooped back that exposed nearly all of her back. The front was held up with two thin straps, flutter sleeves dangling on her mid upper arm. The fabric was breezy and blood red, dragging on the floor as she walked. As always, she’d chosen flat shoes to go with it, her hair curled tightly and swept to one shoulder.

“That’s why I decided to skip it,” Tonks told them cheerfully.

“Aren’t you in detention again?”

“Trivial,” she said easily.

Tulip walked in, clad in her nice, black dress robes. “You guys look glum.”

“I’m just not in the mood,” Rowan told her.

“Look at us. We’ll never be this young or beautiful again. We need to memorialize it, through endless shenanigans, nice clothes, and sneaking off to make out when Flitwick’s back is turned.”

“Or, or, hear me out. Let’s skip dancing and just make out,” Penny said, reaching out for Tulips hand in an attempt to yank her down onto the bed.

“I second that idea,” Ari said, sitting up. Next to her, Rowan nodded solemnly.

“Soon. Come on. You guys look amazing and if you don’t go Charlie and Barnaby are going to be forced to make out with other girls.”

“Let him,” Rowan said. Ari laughed.

“Charlie kiss another a girl. That’s the funniest thing you’ve ever said.” Ari added.

“I’m serious. If you don’t get up right now, Ari Young, I’m gonna kiss him myself.”

“Do it. I dare you Tulip. Go kiss him. I would personally love to see you kiss him.”

Tulip narrowed her eyes. “I’ll do it.”

“You won’t,” Ari challenged.

“Ari, she’ll do it,” Penny told her. Tulip turned on her heel and walked down the stairs. Unwilling to miss the spectacle, Rowan, Penny, and Ari took off after her, stopping on the stairs to watch. Charlie was wearing his same dress robes, looking too perfect for the mortal plane and talking to Barnaby. Tulip grabbed his arm, said, “Hey, Weasley, look at me,” and grabbed his face.

“NO OKAY I’M SORRY!” Ari shouted before Tulip could do anything else. “Don’t kiss him.”

“Oh, thank God. I thought you were going to make me go through with it.”

“Uh, I’m sorry, what is happening here?” Charlie asked as Ari made her way over to him. He curled his arm around her waist.

“Ari about lost her mind, that’s what happened,” Tulip said, taking Penny’s hand and stalking out.

 

“What’s wrong?” Charlie asked, watching Tulip leave.

“I’m just worried,” she admitted. Time was moving quickly and they were spending too much time being silly and not enough time being serious.

“This is our time, though. Not Jacob’s. He can’t have everything,” Charlie told her, breathing her in. Charlie wanted the entire year to slow down, or even come screeching to a sudden halt. It felt like every morning he woke, and a week had passed instead of a day. He dreaded the day when he’d have to send her into that forest and hope she was the one who walked back out.

“It feels borrowed. Like, Jacob is always the cloud hanging over my head,” Ari said, stepping into the hall. She could see a different pair of sixth years, looking at each other nervously as they walked onto the dance floor. Had McGonagall roped them into doing another perfect waltz? What wouldn’t she give to go back to that night, when things still held so much promise. She didn’t know what was waiting for her, the truth of everything.

“Remember when that was us?” She whispered, watching the boy nearly drop his dance partner. Charlie was smiling.

“Our waltz really was flawless though.”

“A Christmas dance miracle.”

*

Tonks didn’t really have detention, she just wanted an excuse to make this night one no one would ever forget. In fact, she was certain there would never be another dance after this one, which was her end goal. Let them be the last class, the greatest class, to do this ritual. She had originally planned to set off her usual fireworks, but in honor of the romantic occasion, she’d also brought enough dungbombs to render the space unusable for the next month. She was carefully setting them on the floor, her fireworks already placed outside in the hall. When the dungbombs exploded, everyone would run out only to be blasted with fireworks and her fanged fizbees.

She darted out, waiting impatiently in the hall. Time to dance.

*

“This night is weird.,” Penny told Tulip. “Charlie and Ari are slow dancing which is making me really uncomfortable with this beat. Why does it always seem like they’re constantly telling each other good bye lately? And Rowan needs to tell Barnaby she’s in love with him, her insecurity is too much for me, I want to box her ears and demand she see herself as a fully formed woman and not a timid little girl.  Tonks is here, by the way, and I know she’s going to blow something up, and the only really interesting thing is Andre and Ben dancing together.” Tulip pointed to Ben and Andre, doing the funkiest dance to upbeat music she had ever seen.

“There’s a couple I could root for,” Tulip commented dryly. “Who can have fun anymore? Especially knowing that Ari is planning to nearly kill herself.” Penny had been unable to keep that secret from Tulip.  “I’m worried about what’s going to happen when we’re all separated. Hogwarts is what’s keeping us together. We were all so unlikely in the first place. Everyone is going to scatter to the wind.”

“We’ll be together,” Penny promised Tulip. “When I start to worry, I always remember that.”

Tulip kissed Penny’s hand. “I’ve never had real friends before you all. I’m afraid of being alone again.”

“Hey, hey,” Penny told her, taking her face in her hands. “You will _never_ be alone. You’re gonna have me, in your space twenty-four seven, clogging up the shower drain, eating all your leftovers, singing too loudly in the garden. You’re going to wish you were alone. I have a lot of hair ties, you know, and I leave them everywhere. Can you imagine, going to brush your teeth but you can’t, because my hair ties are littered all over the counter-“

“Stop it,” Tulip smiled. “You’re not describing hell. That sounds like heaven.”

“Good, because in the spirit of this dance, and our seventh year, I need to ask you something, desperately,” Penny said, nervously standing from her spot on the bench. Tulip looked so relaxed, unaware of what was coming for her.

“Did you request a cheesy love song, because yes, I will dance to it,” Tulip agreed. Penny shook her head as she wobbly knelt to one knee, pulling the little silver band she’d picked out before Christmas break started.

“No, it’s a little more permanent than a dance.” Penny took a deep breath. “Tulip, from the-“

“No, no, wait wait wait, Penny!” Tulip screeched, stopping her before she could say anything. Tulip reached into her dress robes and pulled out an intricately braided band from the inside.

“You can’t take this from me!” She said, getting down on one knee in front of Penny, so they were both kneeling in front of each other.

“Oh my GOD is it happening?!” Ben shouted from across the dance floor. “It this actually happening?!”

Penny burst out laughing as she began to cry. “I was trying to surprise you,” she said, handing Tulip the ring she’d picked out. Tulip gave Penny her ring, slipping the other one onto her finger.

“Like you could _ever_ get the jump on me, Penny Haywood.”

The two of them, both crying and laughing, kissed, on their knees in front of nearly every member of the seventh-year class.

 

*

Ari was jumping up and down, giddy with excitement. Next to her, Barnaby stood with a serious face, looking down at the delicate band on Tulip’s finger. “I can’t believe you’re the first one of us that’s engaged!” Ari shrieked to Tulips growing embarrassment.

“Same,” Tulip agreed. “But it feels good.”

“Half of Slytherin seventh years are engaged,” Barnaby muttered. Andre and Charlie were standing around Penny, smiling as they spoke about something Ari could not hear. As Rowan made her way to Tulip, Barnaby grabbed Ari’s arm and dragged back into the throng of people, putting his hands on her waist and pulling her close for the dance. She wrapped her arms around his neck, aware that if they were dancing this closely, Barnaby wanted to speak with her without people knowing they were talking. Barnaby only ever wanted to be in her personal space when he had something to say.

“Are you okay?” She asked him, watching a muscle in his jaw jump.

“I want that,” he murmured in her ear. Ari looked over her shoulder where their friends were crowded together, faces bright and alive in the moment. She turned back to Barnaby.

“You can,” she told him, looking up at him. He shook his head.

“You don’t understand Ari.”

“Then help me understand. Barnaby, you’re one of my best friends, and nothing you tell me will change that.”

His hands left her waist and she dropped hers from his neck, letting him take her hands and guide her to far edge of the room, where there was no one near them. He sat down at a table, motioning for her to join him.

“My family supported Voldemort,” he said like this was breaking news. He’d told her this their fourth year.

“I know Barnaby,” she started to say but he cut her off.

“High in the ranks. Right up there with the Lestranges. The things they did…that they would still do? Because they’re still true believes, biding their time until it’s safe to come back out. I can’t put Rowan in danger like that.”

Ari was strangely touched. Barnaby didn’t just like Rowan, he was in love with her. How had she never noticed it before? Tulip and Penny were like her and Charlie: in your face, but Rowan and Barnaby were quiet in their romance. Ari almost never saw them out together, although she knew they liked to study together. Barnaby’s bombshell that they had a hidden spot in Hogwarts where they went to be alone had been as shocking to her as it had been to everyone else.

“Oh Barnaby, didn’t your family disown you?” She asked, wondering how much personal information she could divulge to make him feel better.

His face grew darker. “I left,” he admitted. “They still expect me to get married and come back.”

“Well,” Ari began, thoughtfully. “Rowan has pure blood from a long line of Khanna’s. I don’t think they’re…Slytherin pure, but almost no one is anymore. So, they couldn’t be mad about that. But I also want to tell you something and you can never EVER tell Tonks I told you. Do you understand?”

He nodded swiftly. “Her aunt was…is Bellatrix Lestrange. Her mom was sisters with Bellatrix and look what she did. Went and married a muggle!”

“That’s not a secret, Ari,” he told her, but he didn’t look so angry. She grabbed his hands, aware that Charlie was making his way towards them.

“You aren’t your parents,” she said quickly. “You don’t have to do what they want you to. Be a magizoologist. Marry the girl, fight evil. You can have all of that. You’re a good person, Barnaby and you’ve always stood with me and I know that if someone like Voldemort rose again, you’d stand with us again.  
He nodded fervently, and she dropped his hands. Charlie was there, which meant their conversation was over.

“Dance?” He asked her. She smiled, standing, leaving Barnaby to his thoughts. He had never really believed he could have all the things he wanted, but she believed it so deeply, that they could all be happy if they really wanted to be. Rowan had told him how she’d refused her parents and come back to Hogwarts and he’d been a little in awe. He had left that summer, but his parents still wrote as if nothing had changed, suggesting different women he might meet and marry, of taking a job in his fathers department at the ministry. He hadn’t written back, which he knew was just silent agreement.

Leaving evil behind was a journey for him in a way it hadn’t been for his friends. He watched Charlie spin Ari around, the two of them laughing about something, a familiar feeling of envy rising in his chest. Charlie always seemed to know what the right thing was, without having to think about it. He wanted it to be that effortless for him, like breathing. He wanted to reject the wrong things just by the sight of them, without having to contemplate them or considering how it might benefit him if he were to chose them.

Being around Ari had helped, over the years, but even now, it was tempting to take what his parents were offering. He would always be safe. He might even leverage that into safety for his friends, should they ever need it. But it was also cowardice. Happiness was hard fought and won, not stolen. Living that way would be a half life and he’d always be filled with regrets. He looked over at Rowan, dancing with Andre, his resolve solidifying. Even if it was hard, or it wasn’t second nature, didn’t mean he couldn’t choose to do it.

*

“Let’s get out of here,” Charlie said as the night began winding down. “Before anyone realizes we’re gone.”

“We promised McGonagall we’d stay in our own beds,” she reminded Charlie, only half serious.

“Didn’t you say you that sometimes you had to break the rules to get what you wanted?” He asked her softly. She caught her breath, heart pounding. She was nodding when something exploded behind them. They both ducked, the memory of last year flooding into both of their brains. His arms were over her head as more explosions rocked the room around them. People were running and screaming as the two of them looked around wildly, expecting to see Jacob.

She threw Charlies arms off of her, standing, her wand pointed, ready to face her brother down when she realized it wasn’t Jacob, but just some of Tonks fireworks. Professor Sprout had stopped ushering people out to stare at her for a moment, a strange look on her face. Ari thought it almost looked like pity and she wondered how much Dumbledore had told her head of house about her adventure last year.

She didn’t have time to think about it. Charlie was tugging on her arm, face serious, dragging her out of the room. A putrid stench was filling the air, causing them to choke. Outside the hall was not much better. Fanged frisbee’s were whirring through the air, attacking people, as more fireworks exploded. Charlie kept his grip on Ari’s hand tight, weaving in and out of people. In the chaos, no one paid any attention to them, which was how they ended up in the room of requirement, the same room they’d been in last year and not the closet she’d conjured earlier in the year.

She was keyed up, on edge, the panic burning in her throat. She’d been prepared for a showdown with her brother and felt a little hysterical. Charlie guided her over to the bed and forced her to sit, where she inhaled and exhaled over and over. He was pacing angrily, hands balled up into fists. “Charlie,” she said.

He shook his head. “The last thing I remember is an explosion,” he told her in frustration, running a hand through his hair, “And then we were being attacked by dementors. I thought…”

She nodded, motioning for him to come over to her. He did, breathing heavily. “I did too,” she agreed. “It was just one of Tonks or Tulips pranks, though. They didn’t know.”

“I don’t want to send you back,” he whispered, taking her face roughly in his hands. She scooted closer, so she was on the edge of the bed. “I know I have to, but I don’t want to.”

“Charlie…tell me again, when you knew you loved me.” She wanted to get him off this topic before she made him a promise she’d regret. There was so little she wouldn’t do for him and promising to abandon her quest to stop Jacob, so they could be together was high up there. He was so wound up, and she understood it, but they couldn’t spend the rest of the year on edge like this. They needed to spend the time they had together, not angry or worried.

“I knew the moment I looked into your eyes,” he said gruffly before kissing her hard. This was different, almost possessive in it’s urgency. She felt wild, like she couldn’t control herself as she began fumbling with the buttons on his shirt. His tongue was in her mouth, his teeth occasionally dragging along her lips as she sighed with enjoyment. She felt his hand run up the side of one of her legs, unsure of when he’d pushed aside the material of her dress. He was still standing at the edge of the bed, her own legs dangling off as he stood between them. The position was awkward, she thought, as she undid the last button and pushed the material aside.

He broke the kiss, hair in his face, to look down at her. She ran her hands up his chest and he closed his eyes for a moment as she leaned up to kiss him again.

“We don’t- “he started, losing himself in the kiss before pulling away. “I mean, we can wait- “

“I’m done waiting,” she said fiercely, moving backwards until she was completely on the bed. She didn’t know how much time they had with each other, and she wasn’t going to waste it worried about perfect moments.

He didn’t hesitate, crawling after her on the bed. She closed her eyes, forgetting about everything except him.

In it’s own way, it was their perfect moment.

*

“Is Ms. Young in bed?” Professor Sprout entered her old common room, surprising Rowan. She’d just gotten back and was sitting on the couch replaying her night with Barnaby. He’d dragged her off before things exploded-literally- in the great hall, to their hidden spot, pulling her into his lap to kiss her like his life depended on it. Her hair was a disaster, but her head of house didn’t seem to notice.

“Um,” Rowan said. She knew for a fact Ari was not coming home tonight. She didn’t have to go upstairs to know that. Charlie and Ari had been all over each other at the dance, if they weren’t hidden somewhere in the castle, Rowan would flunk all her classes on purpose. “I don’t think so.”

“Head Girl duties no doubt,” Sprout said absently. Rowan did a double take. Professor Sprout was giving Ari the benefit of the doubt? Since when? “I’ll wait here.”

Sprout sat on a couch as Rowan made her way up the staircase to their dorm. Tonks was already there with Penny, sitting on Penny’s bed staring at the ring on her finger.

“Professor Sprout is downstairs,” Rowan announced. “Waiting on Ari.”

“You should tell her she’s going to be waiting all night,” Penny said. “I saw Charlie dragging her out of the Great Hall, I don’t think he’s bringing her back.”

“Was it amazing?” Tonks asked, stars in her eyes.

“Well,” Penny frowned. “You definitely cancelled the dance for future generations, and I think you genuinely scared Ari.”

“Oh yeah, her brother tried to blow her up, didn’t he?” Rowan asked. Tonks smile faded a bit.

“I didn’t think about that. I’ve put Ari in the middle of fireworks twice this year. Maybe I should stop doing that to her.”

“Yeah, probably,” Penny agreed.

“Or, just stop blowing things up all together?” Rowan suggested. “So, Dumbledore doesn’t expel you?”  
“I have an iron clad alibi,” Tonks said indignantly. “I was in detention.”

“I definitely saw you,” Penny told her.   
“Well you see everything,” Tonks retorted. “But did anyone else?”

“I didn’t,” Rowan said.

“Aha! See!”

Penny rolled her eyes, kicking the pink haired witch off her bed. The three of them climbed into bed, chattering until the early hours, unaware that their head of house was still downstairs, waiting.

*

Ari woke with a start. She thought she heard someone whispering her name. Next to her, Charlie was laying flat on his stomach, an arm thrown around her. He was breathing deeply, eyes shut, exhausted. She looked up at the ceiling, a warm feeling pooling in her stomach as she remembered the events of the evening. Their first time had been an awkward, fumbling disaster. The book she’d read hadn’t been a how-to manual, so they’d had to guess at some things. They’d had to do it two more times to achieve perfection, and once they figured it out she didn’t think they’d have to work so hard in the future. She wasn’t upset about any of it, all of it had been fun and she was hoping for a repeat when he woke up in the morning.

She closed her eyes, snuggling in closer against his body, when a voice whispered across her mind. _“Ariadne…”_

She wasn’t dreaming, then. She bolted up, feet hitting the cold floor as she grabbed her casually discarded dress. She could see him, in her mind, standing at the edge of the forest, beckoning her. As she pulled her shoes on, she heard Barnaby’s voice whispering softly, “Close your mind, Ari.” It was drowned by Jacob, asking for her, looking like she remembered before everything last year. Like a boy.

She took one last look at Charlie, sleeping soundly, and closed the door with a click behind her.

She floated through the castle unseen, like a ghost. She didn’t consider what might happen if she got caught running through the castle in the dead of night, still in last night’s formal wear.

She pushed the front door open as a blast of wind slammed into her. It was freezing, but somehow, she didn’t feel cold. She was screaming, in her mind, that she was coming. They’d be together, she could rescue him. He was begging, Ari, please. Around her, the wind whipped furiously, forcing her to fight against it as she made her way forward. Snow seeped into her flats as she passed Hagrid’s hut on her way to the forest.

There he was, just a shadow in the wind and snow.

“JACOB!” She shouted, tripping over the hem of her dress in her haste to reach the forest. He was retreating into the trees as she scrambled to her feet. The wind had changed, dragging her towards him. She was so close, she thought desperately, almost in the same spot she’d collapsed in the year before. She could almost make his features out, just a few more steps and she’d have him and could drag him back to the light.

Strong arms wrapped around her waist tightly, yanking her back. She tumbled backwards, landing in the snow.

“WHAT ARE YOU DOING?!” Charlie shouted, face red from the cold air. She looked back up but Jacob was gone, as well as her overwhelming desire to find him. The wind had settled around them and the cold began spreading over her body. She looked back at Charlie, eyes wide. Barnaby had warned her this could happen if she didn’t keep her mind closed. She’d been doing a good job but in the sleepy bliss of the night she’d forgotten, and Jacob had crept in.

“Jacob,” she told him, looking back at the trees. Charlie was on his feet but she stayed sitting. He took his robe off and draped it around her, lifting her into his arms and making their way into the castle.

“I can walk,” she said through her teeth chattering. Her skin felt frozen and despite her bold words, she rested her head against his chest.

“I know you can,” he replied, his jaw clenched. She’d ruined the night with Jacob, like she always did. He walked silently to her common room, pausing only long enough for her to utter the password. Candles sprung to life when they entered, revealing Professor Sprout, bleary eyed, waiting for them.

“Oh no,” Ari said through her shaking.

“Oh no is right, Ms. Young…Mr. Weasley.”

Charlie set Ari on her feet gently and she immediately collapsed, the shaking violent. “Blanket,” she told Charlie, still wrapped in his robe. A large, fluffy blanket was draped on the back of the couch Professor Sprout was sitting on. Charlie grabbed it as Ari kicked her snow filled shoes off.

“What happened?” Sprout demanded, watching Charlie wrap Ari in the blanket and help her into a chair.

“Jacob,” Ari chattered. “I thought…just a hallucination.”

“Where have you been?”

“Patrolling,” Charlie lied quickly, aware that his buttons didn’t line up with their holes.

“At three a.m.?”

Ari didn’t respond. The idea that they were model students, up all night looking for rule breakers, was almost too funny to contemplate.

“He was,” she finally said as her shivering began to settle. “I was breaking the rules, like usual. We weren’t together.”

“I find that impossible to believe,” Professor Sprout retorted, walking to the entrance. “And I expect to see you both in my office first thing in the morning. Mr. Weasley, out you go, if you please.”

Charlie shot Ari one last look before exiting, Professor Sprout at his heels.

Ari buried her face into the material of the couch, eyes closed, legs curled up under her. She needed to go to bed. The fabric of her dress was wet, although warm from her body heat.

She’d ruined a perfectly good night with her inability to pay attention. She vowed to tell Barnaby everything.

It was time to get serious now.


	15. The Scientist

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> We're almost at the end, which bums me out.
> 
> If you've been reading and you enjoyed yourself, thank you so much! This was a weird little story based off an app that reminded me how much I liked the HP universe, and I'm so happy other people liked it too. 
> 
> Also, I'm almost done editing the next chapter and my plan is to have it up tomorrow (optimism) or Monday (realism).

 

_Tell me you love me, come back and haunt me_

_Oh and I rush to the start_

_Running in circles, chasing our tails_

_Coming back as we are_

_Nobody said it was easy_

_It's such a shame for us to part._

_Nobody said it was easy; no one ever said it would be this hard_

_Oh take me back to the start._

 

Ari walked in to Professor Sprouts office to find McGonagall and Charlie waiting on her. “Gangs all here,” she said, sinking into a chair next to Charlie.

“I thought I made it clear that you two were not to be out of bed after curfew.”

“We weren’t…technically…” Charlie trailed off at the withering look Ari gave him.

“Weasley, you are _Head Boy._ Doesn’t that mean anything to you?” McGonagall implored. He nodded, shamefaced.

“I don’t know why I expect you to follow the rules, Ms. Young,” Sprout told Ari, her face icy with disappointment. “You have never once proven to be capable. Why Dumbledore thought you ought to be Head Girl will haunt me until I die!”

Ari couldn’t argue with that statement, so she didn’t. It wasn’t like she’d ever gone out of her way to do what she was told. Dumbledore had literally promised to expel her one year, and there she was, back the next.

“I am extremely disappointed in you.” McGonagall was speaking exclusively to Charlie at this point. “I thought you would do a better job of keeping your friends in line, not run around helping them break the rules.”

“We will be contacting your parents,” Sprout informed them both. Ari sank down into her chair. She wasn’t especially worried about her own parent’s reaction as much as she was worried about Mrs. Weasleys. She was positive that Mrs. Weasley had sent her that book as a deterrent and not the guide that Ari used it for the night before.

“I feel that will be a sufficient punishment for you both, but if I catch you out of bed again there will be much more severe consequences. Do you understand me?” McGonagall asked.

“Yeah,” Charlie mumbled.

“I don’t think there is anything I can threaten you with that will scare you, Ms. Young,” Sprout told her. “So, let me just say that another clear violation of the rules is likely to involve your wand being snapped. Do I make myself clear?”

“Crystal,” Ari responded, bristling under the threat. They were dismissed, thrust out into the hallway to deal with their shame.

“Why am I always getting expelled while you’re just…getting detention?” She asked angrily stalking back off to Hufflepuff. She didn’t wait for him to respond because she knew exactly why. Charlie had, to the teachers around them, a much more promising future.

Who was she, except the cursed student?

 

*

*

“Close. Your. MIND ARI!” Barnaby shouted, blasting Ari backwards into desks shoved up against the wall. “I can hear every spell you’re thinking like you’re shouting them at me! You were supposed to be practicing!”

“I’m trying Barnaby!” Ari shouted back angrily, picking herself up. “It’s hard when you’re shouting at me.”

“Again,” he said, raising his wand. Ari and Barnaby had ramped up their practicing since classes had resumed. If Barnaby wasn’t on the Quidditch pitch, he was leaving bruises all over Ari’s body. It had gotten to the point that Ari was refusing to spend any alone time with Charlie, so he wouldn’t see her body. New bruises covered the fading purple and yellow of the old ones. She knew he would be furious if he knew what she was letting Barnaby do to her. “You let Jacob in; you were lazy, try harder Ari.”

She snarled, lifting her wand but he was already in her mind, prying out memories. He flipped around, trying to figure out what Jacob might have found and stumbled into the night of the dance.

“AH!” She snarled, hurling a curse at him with so much force that he slammed against the door of the classroom. She was willing to share a lot of things with Barnaby in order to become proficient, but she absolutely would not give him carte blanche access to that particular memory.

He rubbed the back of his head, looking at her accusatory. She’d refused to tell Barnaby how she’d gotten sloppy. Now he knew. “Ari,” he all but whispered.

“Don’t you dare,” she said, her voice dangerous, wand still pointed at him. She knew she’d messed up, but her entire life was one big mystery. She deserved quiet moments that were just soft and safe.

“He’s seen it,” Barnaby told her, clambering to his feet. “He knows where you’re weak, emotionally! You have to become a fortress! He knows you’re coming for him, Ari I’m serious. You can’t do that with Charlie again. In fact, you need to stay away from Charlie until this is over.”

“I’m not going to stay away from Charlie,” she started, her heart pounding. “Jacob has taken everything else, he can’t have Charlie.”

“He’ll kill him, ARI, ARE YOU LISTENING?!” Barnaby roared, striding over to her. He grabbed her by the arms and shook her. “He will kill him as easy as killing a spider. The damage might already have been done.”

“What is going on in here?” Snape burst in, Merula at his heels. Barnaby released Ari, stepping away from her.

“Nothing,” Barnaby said, hatred in his voice. “Just dueling club.”

“Where is your chaperone?” Snape demanded. Barnaby just shrugged in direct defiance. Ari stepped forward.

“I’m our chaperone. Head Girl, and what not.” Her smile didn’t reach her eyes as her gaze drifted to Merula. Her grip tightened around her wand. Snape wasn’t going to do anything no matter how much he loathed Barnaby. He never took points from his own house.

“They were physically fighting!” Merula piped up from around Snape. “I saw them, he was shaking her.”

Snape stared at both of them unblinkingly and Ari got the uneasy feeling he could read her mind. Walls up, she reminded herself, just in case. Barnaby was rigid next to her. Finally, “Back to your houses,” Snape practically whispered. Barnaby tore out, Ari at his heels. She threw a dirty look at Merula before running to catch up with Barnaby.

“Barnaby okay, okay. You’re right and I’ll keep my distance but I’m not going to end things. He’s my Rowan, okay? Do you understand?”

Barnaby’s face softened slightly.

“It’s probably too late, anyway,” he told her in what was obviously supposed to be reassuring. “Also, I found something else.”

He pulled parchment and a quill out of his bag and began sketching. “The same symbols Rowan saw on the cursed vault. He left this behind in your mind.”

She looked down at it, looking at it with new eyes. Rowan had given her the same drawing weeks ago and she’d barely glanced at it. A mistake, she realized, almost hysterical.

“It’s not just symbols,” she said. “It’s words, from a dead language.”

_Λαβύρινθος_

Barnaby looked down again. “What does it say?”

Dread rose hot and fast in her stomach and into her throat, burning the back of her neck. In that moment she truly hated Jacob.

“Labyrinth.”

*

“I don’t know why they don’t teach us Greek or Latin here,” Ari said from inside the room of requirement. It had changed into the perfect place for a large group to study. They sat at a large, round table, watching Ari flip open a dusty book. “I should have recognized it immediately. It was the first language I ever learned.”

“How many do you know?” Barnaby asked, earning him an elbow to the side from Rowan.

“Just two,” she responded. Greek and English. She preferred English because everyone around her spoke it and had since she was small, but she could switch into Greek if she needed to. As a little girl, other children had teased her for her accent and she’d learned to suppress it until it didn’t exist anymore.

Leave it to Jacob, she thought bitterly, to dredge their shared past back up this way. Did he think she looked at it with fondness or was he the one who was still holding on to it. She had assimilated into English culture, she looked English, she could put all of Greece behind her for all she cared.

No, she thought as she flipped pages. This was Jacob’s mistake.

“The labyrinth, according to legend,” she began, looking at the pages written in Greek, “was built by Daedalus. So, basically, King Minos ruled over Crete. He’d married Pasaphae, who was half God, half nymph, and they had children, one of whom was Ariadne. What happens next has a lot of different interpretations, but what’s important to know is that Pasaphae, like her brothers and sisters, were witches and wizards. Maybe the first, who knows? And Pasaphae gives birth to this creature after…doing it…with a bull. Minos calls it a minotaur, after himself because of course he would, and that’s kind of that.

Except this thing is thirsty for blood. It’s got the head of a bull and the body of a human and it likes to eat humans. Minos, coincidentally, is also in a fight with Athens. So, he tells their king, ‘Look, I could wipe you all off the map, but instead of doing that, send me fourteen teenagers, seven boys and seven girls, every year, and I’ll let the rest of you live.’ And the king does it. Daedalus builds a labyrinth that is so difficult to escape that he barely makes it out after constructing it, and Minos and Pasaphae put Ariadne in charge of sending these teenagers in to die. Okay?”

“Yeah, no offense, but these stories are really disturbing,” Andre commented.

“Aren’t you related to these people?’ Rowan asked.

Ari shrugged. “Supposedly. But getting back on track, and without giving too much unnecessary details, the King of Athens has a son, who he sent away because of a prophecy and his son, Theseus comes back and sees what is happening and is like, “Dad. Send me, and I’ll kill this thing and free us all.’  And his dad is like, why not. It’s not like he has anything to lose, you know? If Theseus succeeds then Theseus is a hero and if he fails, well, it’s not like they knew each other well.

So Theseus turns up in Crete and meets Ariadne and she falls in love with him and decides she’s gonna help him kill the minotaur. She gives him a ball of string to get him out of the maze and a sword and is like, good luck! He didn’t have a good plan before this, and she knows that if he goes bare handed he’ll definitely lose. She’s right, the sword is what does the trick and Theseus kills the minotaur, and then takes Ariadne to Naxos, which is basically where the story ends.

“Basically?” Tulip asked, eyes narrowed. “What happens to Ariadne?”

Ari sat in her chair, closing the book softly. “Depends on your favorite interpretation.”

“What’s yours?” Penny asked her.

“Dionysus, who is a God, shows up and tells Theseus to leave Ariadne on Naxos because he’s fallen in love with her, and then marries her and elevates her as a goddess.”

“And…your least favorite version?” Charlie asked from the other end of the table. She looked down at the wood grain.

“Theseus abandons Ariadne on a hill napping and Dionysus kills her.”

“Okay!” Tonks chimed in. “We’ve got a lot of options for possible endings, what do we do now?”

Ari inhaled. “Familiarize yourself with Greek myths, the creatures in them and how they were defeated. I think that Jacob is caught up in a glorious, ancient past in which people do amazing, often terrible things.”

“Okay, we can do that,” Barnaby said as Charlie nodded.

“And research is my middle name,” Rowan chimed in as Andre and Ben scooted over to her, indicating they’d work together.

“I’m already brewing up a storm, but I can always make more, especially now that you’ve organized Snape’s store room so nicely.” Penny told her.   
“And ancient monsters are no match for the nightmares that come out of Zonkos,” Tonks added.

“Or my brain,” Tulip said darkly.

“Okay, then we know what we need to do,” Ari said. She watched them start to file out, staying behind. Once everyone was gone she turned to the fire place and whispered the incantation, hoping to Merlin Bill would be home.

“Ari?” She could see him, her face in the fire. The flames licked the side of her face, the ash pooling around them hem of her shirt.

“Bill,” she breathed. “I need your help with something.”

“You could have sent it in a letter,” he reminded her.

“I didn’t know how long it would take to reach you. I need you to find a place for me.”

“Name it,” he said gamely.

“I grew up on an island in the Aegean Sea with a cursed shoreline. I need you to find it for me.”

“That’s it?” He asked. “You don’t want me to uncurse it?”

“Not yet,” she told him. “Just, when you find it, send word as soon as you can, okay?”

He nodded.

“Whatever you need, Ari.”

She removed her face from the fire, wiping soot from her face. Maybe Jacob was obsessed with the legends of old, but he was also obsessed with their shared history. That was the last place they ever lived in Greece, and she had a feeling he wouldn’t have forgotten it either.

She needed to know how to get back there.

 

*

“Aw, guys you _absolutely_ should have done this, this is amazing,” Tulip said, feigning surprise when she walked into a raging party that was mostly for her and Penny. Everyone in Hufflepuff loved Penny and so, by extension, they loved Tulip. Not everyone was there to celebrate the engagement, though. Some people were there just for food, drinks, and loud music. Ari didn’t care. Any excuse to celebrate was good enough.

“What are you thinking, like a big church wedding, or maybe a HUGE church wedding?” Tonks was asking with the straightest face she could manage.

“Yeah, a church wedding sounds amazing,” Penny said, standing next to Tonks, enjoying how uncomfortable Tulip looked.

“I just figured we’d do something…simple,” Tulip choked out.

 

On the other end of the room, Ben and Andre were dancing again, an almost coordinated number. “Tulip said she thinks they’re going to date,” Rowan confided in Ari.

“Really? I would root for that,” Ari said, checking out Ben and Andre. “Although they’re pretty different. Andre is so…well dressed and Ben is…”

“Not? No, I know. Also, it would be kind of nice if our whole group didn’t date each other,” Rowan said.

“I don’t think Ben is interested in men, either. I know Andre has said he’s not concerned with someone’s gender when he’s into them, but I’ve never seen Ben with anyone but girls.”

“A girl. One girl, last year, that fourth year. And that went nowhere.”

“I think Ben will have better luck once he’s out in the world and people don’t know who he is. He can reinvent himself, you know?”

Rowan looked over at Ari. “Reinvent himself?”

“Well, you know. We’ve all known each other since we were eleven. It’s hard to date someone that you once saw pee their pants on a broom.”

“Ah yeah he did do that, didn’t he?”

“I’m just saying, once he’s out of here, no one knows anything about him. He could slap on a pair of aviator sunglasses, a leather jacket and I’ll bet people will fall all over him.”

Rowan absorbed what Ari said, suddenly intrigued. “Are you going to do that?”

“Oh no, I would look awful in a leather jacket.”

 

*

It was the Quidditch Cup show down. Ravenclaw versus Gryffindor had the most points in their brackets and the school was practically humming with excitement. Ari hadn’t seen Charlie in a month and she was more excited to have her boyfriend back than the potential win. Andre had also been absent, although he’d had the sense to go to Tulip and Penny’s party. Charlie was driving his team hard. Ben had mentioned that several of them had been plotting a mutiny.

As always, Ari was in her Weasley Gryffindor jersey. Andre would understand, she decided. Tulip, Rowan, Tonks, and Penny were decked out in Ravenclaw colors, as was typical for most Hufflepuffs. Ravenclaw were their preferred allies, as far as houses went. Gryffindor’s and Slytherins were natural enemies but the opposite held true for Ravenclaw and Hufflepuff.  Barnaby had also put on Ravenclaw, still angry about the near miss with Gryffindor earlier in the year. Before Charlie had caught the snitch, Slytherin had been up in points, mostly because Barnaby was an unparalleled keeper.

 “I’m going to be so pissed if he wins,” Barnaby said, watching the Gryffindor team walk onto the field. “I just want to watch him lose one time.”

“He does feel unstoppable, doesn’t he,” Tonks said, eyes bright with excitement. “Still, he’s a hell of a captain and seeker. It’s hard not to root for him. No matter who wins, we also win because they’re our friends.”

“Okay you can tone that down, we are rooting for Ravenclaw and Andre and I won’t hear another word about it,” Tulip said, salt her voice.

“He could go pro if he wanted to. I wish he would. England needs help,” Ben said morosely. “Talk him out of dragons, Ari.”

“Merlin himself could not talk Charlie out of dragons,” Ari told him before her voice was drowned out in the screams of the crowd. She cheered for both teams, holding the rail of the stadium next to Ben. The day was clear and crisp, the perfect day if a little cold. Winter was hanging on this year and a Quidditch game was what everyone needed before they plunged head first into N.E.W.T.s. Time was racing past Ari and she didn’t feel prepared at all.

She shook her head. She wasn’t going to worry about that right now. The game was in full swing and Andre was showing off for the scouts that were watching. He was everyone on the field, weaving and dodging, throwing spectacular goals that sent the crowd into a frenzy.

Gryffindor had their A game on but Ravenclaw’s players were veterans and Charlie’s team was pretty young. His chasers couldn’t have been older than third years, his twin brothers were beaters and Oliver Wood, a fourth year as a keeper. They didn’t have the same kind of grit Ravenclaw had.

She could see Charlie had trained them well. Every move they made was synchronized, though not flashy. He was seemed to drill practicality over showmanship which Ari personally thought was keeping Gryffindor in this game.

“Go Andre!” Ari screeched when Andre came flying towards them, grabbing the quaffle right above her head. He winked and took off, sending Ari into a fit of giggles.

Ravenclaw lead by thirty points by the time Charlie streaked high into the air, towards the sun, a modern-day Icarus. Ravenclaw chaser didn’t have a chance. She was too far, her eyes focused on the ground instead of above her.

The stands erupted as Charlie made a victory lap around the stadium, snitch held high in his hand. McGonagall was smiling ear to ear, practically jumping up and down. His team mobbed him mid-air, sinking to the ground as a group as people began flooding out to congratulate them. Ari went to join them, elbowing her way through people, Ben holding on the the back of her shirt to go with her. She could see him, center in the middle of a crowd, smiling like he’d just been crowned king. She continued to shove until she was facing him. Their eyes met and then her feet were off the ground, his mouth crushed against hers. His joy was infectious, and she laughed into his mouth, breaking apart so he could go back to celebrating.

He never took his arms off her.

*

As N.E.W.T.s approached, everyone had returned to their tables at breakfast, studying over eggs. Ari didn’t mind so much because it meant there was more room at the Hufflepuff table for spreading out. She had her Care of Magical Creatures book out, easily her weakest subject, pouring over the feeding habits of flobberworms when noise erupted at the Gryffindor table. She immediately looked at Charlie, who had his Herbology book propped up against his cup, but he was also staring at the commotion. It appeared that another pair of Gryffindor’s had gotten engaged. It seemed like everyone was these days, she thought with mild annoyance.

“WE DID IT FIRST!” Tulip shouted from the Ravenclaw table as Andre shushed her.

“That’s the fourth couple this week,” Penny told the table as things began to quiet down. Ari made eye contact with Charlie, who blushed, and then ducked his head back into his book. “Before you know it, the entire class will be married.”

“Mum says it’s normal,” Rowan told them. “She got engaged to my dad at this very table. She’s still disappointed I haven’t found a Hufflepuff to marry. Khanna’s have a long tradition in Hufflepuff.”

Tonks rolled her eyes. “Settling down at eighteen sounds like a nightmare. Don’t they want to see the world? Have fun without another person dragging you down, forcing you to make them dinner and clean their house? No offense, of course.”

Penny waved her hand, unconcerned with Tonks concerns. Everyone knew that Tonks was not interested in romance or relationships.

“Have you talked to Charlie recently?” Penny asked Ari. Ari glanced back up, but Charlie was flipping through his Herbology book, unaware of her gaze.

“No, N.E.W.T fever has over taken even the most laid back of us all,” Ari responded, looking back down at her book. Penny sighed. Rowan was watching her, eyes narrowed, as Ari went back to her own studying.

Penny looked behind her at Charlie, irritated. It should be him and Ari. What was he waiting on?

*

 

She was waiting for him, hidden behind a suit of armor. When he passed, Penny grabbed his arm and yanked him back into the shadows with her.

“Merlin’s beard, Penny,” Charlie hissed, seeing her standing there. “You scared me.”

“Someone should,” Penny retorted, putting her hands on her hips. “What is going on with you?”

Charlie led Penny out of the shadows and back into the well-lit corridor. “What do you mean?”

“When are you going to ask Ari to ma-“

“SHHH SHHH!” Charlie clamped his hand over Penny’s mouth and pulled her back against the wall, ignoring all the stares they were eliciting from the people around them. “Everything’s fine.” He smiled, ignoring Penny licking the palm of his hand. “Don’t scream it, Ari has no idea,” he told Penny, wiping his hand on his pants.

“And she never will at this rate!” Penny complained. “I’m tired of watching everyone else get engaged, it’s annoying, they’re stealing your spotlight.”

“Ari would murder me if I asked her in front of the great hall, first of all, and you know it. With her bare hands, she’d show no mercy. Secondly, there hasn’t been a right time-“

“You’re telling me that you found the time to undress the girl but not to ask her to be your wife?” Penny demanded as Charlie looked around nervously again.

“Do you have to scream everything?”

“Hey guys!” Charlie and Penny spun around to find Ari and Tulip standing there.

“What are you two doing?” Tulip asked suspiciously.

“Nothing,” Charlie said quickly. “Just talking.”

“About what?” Tulip continued as Ari smiled next to her.

“Potions!” Penny said at the same time Charlie choked out, “Dragons.”

“Wow,” Tulip said, taking Ari’s hand. “Lying to me, your future wife. I am shocked and appalled.”

“Wait where are we going?” Ari asked as Tulip dragged her off. “My class is that way.”

“Not today Ariadne!” Tulip retorted as Charlie and Penny watched. The two girls vanished, leaving the blonde and red head alone again. Penny rounded on Charlie, mad.

“I don’t like lying!”

“You wouldn’t have had to if you hadn’t accosted me!” Charlie responded. “Let me do things on my own time!”

The two of them stormed off in opposite directions, irritated with the other.

 

*

“I’m dying,” Ari said, dragging herself into the Hufflepuff common room. Inside Rowan was buried in another book and Penny was working on her wand work. Tonks was face down on the floor again and Ari went to join her.

“How did Charms go?” Rowan asked.

“Failure!” Ari wailed, face crushed against the floor. “My future is ruined, and I am planning to move into a trash can, where I belong.”

“Are you done, though?” Penny asked her. “You’ve done Potions…Defense Against the Dark Arts…Trasfiguration?”

“In an hour,” Ari groaned. “And I have Divination, too, not to mention Care of Magical Creatures, History of Magic, Herbology…and ARTHIMANCY.”

“Oh…yeah…Ari, you should probably start scouting trash cans now.”

“We can be roommates,” Tonks told her.

“Deal.”

 

Transfiguration went better than Ari thought. Not flawless, but she’d scraped together an A. Herbology, which happened immediately, was definitely her best subject as far as the examination went. Plants were so much less stressful when Snape of McGonagall weren’t breathing down her neck the entire time. Sprout, despite her constant disapproval, was much more soothing of an instructor.

She finished strong in Divination with an assured T for Troll. She just did not have it in her to pretend. Everything she saw predicted her own death in increasingly awful ways until she was finally dismissed.

Freedom. She should have felt light, but instead she felt more burdened than before. No more exams meant it was time to open the last vault and face whatever was inside, and the possibility that in the end, Dumbledore would snap her wand and banish her to live among muggles.

She hoped Dumbledore at least wiped her memory before he did it.

That night at dinner they filed in, one by one, each more apprehensive than the last. “Are you sure…?” Penny finally asked, unable to stand the silence.

“You don’t have to go,” Ari dropped her fork with a clatter. “I’m serious. You have all done more than enough. I can’t ask you to do any more.”

“Of course, we’re going,” Andre retorted.  
“Better together,” Ari added.

*

They were supposed to be leaving before curfew, so Ari and Charlie were patrolling one last time, trying to scout a safe route out the castle. Charlie had been quiet all night, his hands jammed in his pockets. She was attributing his behavior to nerves. They’d run into Snape several times which had taken them way off course. They stepped out into the court yard, the fresh spring air cool on their faces. “We haven’t played a game of gobstones in so long,” she said, looking at the ink stained spot so many people had played, them included.

“I don’t think I ever beat you in a game,” he told her, looking down on the stone.

“You were too busy grilling me on every aspect of your family. Remember, right here, fourth year, you said you’d have to make me an official Weasley.” She turned back to the doors, ready to keep going.

“I meant it,” he said from behind her. She opened the doors, expecting him to catch up, but it was just her. She closed the door and turned back around, freezing. He was down on one knee, nervous energy radiating off of him. She walked over to him, eyes wide.

“What are you doing?” She asked, looking down at the ring nestled in the box in his hand. She couldn’t breathe.

“I meant it,” he repeated. “I want to make you an official Weasley. I’ve been in love with you for years, Ari. For me, there’s never going to be anyone else and I want to go into that vault tonight knowing that when we walk out, it really is together.”

“Charlie,” she whispered, taking the ring, a tear rolling down her cheek. She didn’t know what to say. He stood, snapping the box shut. She was staring down at the ring, a white pearl nestled in silver olive leaves. He took it out of her hand and slid it onto her finger.

“We’ll be a family,” he told her, wiping the tear off her cheek. She was nodding, unable to say anything coherent. He smiled, pulling her into his arms and kissing the top of her head. She wanted to say something, anything, about how much it meant to her that he wanted this with her. She had forgotten everything Barnaby has said about Charlie being her weakness as she looked at her hand with the ring on it.

He was crying, too, she realized, when she heard him sniff into her hair. She pulled away, so she could look at him. He looked embarrassed, wiping his face quickly with the palm of his hand.

“Why are you crying?” She asked, laughing through her tears. He was the one giving her everything she’d ever wanted. She was offering him so little in return.

“I just can’t believe any of it’s real,” he admitted. “Everything that’s happened this year feels like a dream.”

She kissed him impulsively, her brother and the forest forgotten for one glorious moment. A future with Charlie was racing through her mind.

The door behind them opened and the broke apart quickly. Snape, as always, she thought, wiping her face again. He registered their faces with what looked like curiosity as she jammed her hand into the pocket of her robes. She was not going to let him ruin this for her. He motioned for them to go back in, and they did, red faced, eyes swollen, refocused.

Time to get into the forest.


	16. Breathe

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I finished this faster than I thought because it needed to be broken up. Otherwise it was like, eighteen pages long and so much to read. 
> 
> I'm leaving for vacation in a week and my goal is to have the final two chapters up by then, so just keep an eyeball out for that.

_This will be all over soon; pour salt into the open wound_

_Is it over yet? Let me in._

_So sacrifice yourself and let me have what's left_

_I know that I can find the fire in your eyes._

_I'm going all the way; get away._

_You take the breath right out of me; you've left a hole where my heart should be._

_You've got to fight just to make it through_

_'Cause I will be the death of you._

 

 

This was it. Nine brooms in hand, they stood at the edge of the forest, unspeaking. They’d changed into regular clothes, Ari putting on her toga dress from the summer, symbolic more than anything. Jacob wasn’t the only one who could play their family history game, she had thought as she’d put it on. It felt lucky, like somehow, she could channel the ancients that had come before her and come out victorious.  She scanned the sky above, cloudy and starless. She knew she wouldn’t see the owl she’d borrowed two days earlier. Bill had found the island, and Ari had sent him back a message with instructions on it. She hoped it he got it in time.

“Ready?” She asked, mounting her broom. Her friends nodded and with a woosh, they were off. It wasn’t curfew yet, which would buy them time. Snape seemed extra suspicious of them, practically trailing Ari and Charlie, but with the help of some dungbombs stolen from Tulip, they’d managed to divert him. They knew a dragon was waiting for them, which Charlie and Andre would try and divert. On the ground, Ari had only one mission, bleed enough to open the door. Barnaby had told no one of this plan, which she was incredibly thankful for. After Charlie’s proposal, she didn’t think he’d let her within a hundred feet of any tree if he knew what she was about to do.

 

The dragon was gone. They hovered for a second, suspicious and nervous. Dragons didn’t just disappear, and it was unlikely someone from the castle had moved it. Dumbledore let a giant squid live in the lake, for Merlin’s sake. Ari tried to calm her nerves as they made their way to the ground. This had Jacob written all over it.

“What happened to the dragon?” Barnaby asked as they tossed their brooms to the side.

“I hope she’s okay,” Charlie said sadly, eyes scanning the skies.

“Well I don’t,” Tulip muttered. “That thing was vicious.”

“Misunderstood,” Barnaby and Charlie said together.

Rowan was standing at the door, touching the letters. “I think if we all blast it together, it’ll open.”

Barnaby met Ari’s eyes. Penny was staring at her feet, pale faced and trembling slightly. The three of them had to be perfect and they knew it, or Ari would die.

She walked to the door, where Rowan was standing. It was solid stone and seemed to vibrate when her fingertips grazed it, as if it was alive. She turned. They were all waiting for her to tell them what to do.

“Do it,” she whispered to Barnaby, dropping her arms to her side. She needed him to do it quickly, before she lost her nerve.

“Do what?” Rowan asked suspiciously. Charlie took a step forward and Ari shot Barnaby a warning look. Barnaby hesitated, raising his wand slightly.

“BARNABY DO IT!” Penny screamed suddenly, watching Charlie take another step to Ari. Barnaby clenched his jaw and jerked his wand and Ari closed her eyes. She didn’t feel it happen, but she heard the reactions around her. Rowan screamed and something loud thudded to the ground. She felt hands on her as she slid down the door and opened her eyes.

“It had to be this way,” she told Charlie thickly, keeping her eyes off of the blood that was pooling down her dress. “It’s the only way to open the door.”

He was shaking his head. Behind him, Andre and Ben had tackled Barnaby to the ground and Tonks and Tulip were prying them off him. “STOP IT!” Penny was crying and screaming, a bottle clutched in her hands. “She told him to do it, they’ve been practicing!”

“You’ll die!” Charlie said. “How could you have promised to marry me tonight, knowing you were going to die?”

She turned her head, looking down at the ground next to her. The dirt was absorbing her blood like a sponge as the door behind her vibrated so hard it was making her teeth chatter. She was confused, suddenly. Why was she on the ground. She needed to lie down. She started to slump, but Charlie grabbed her arms as Rowan cried behind him, hand pressed over her mouth.

“I told you!” Rowan said through her tears, looking at Charlie. “You said not to worry about it, but I told you!”

“Fix it!” Ben told Penny, but she shook her head. Ben walked to Penny to grab the potion from her hand, but Barnaby stood in front of her, an angry bodyguard.

“She hasn’t lost enough blood yet!” Barnaby growled. “If you give this to her, she’ll have suffered all this for nothing.”

“She knew what she was doing,” Penny told the angry group. “Bill gave her the spells and the potions, she’s in good hands!”

“Bill?!” Charlie asked, turning to look at Penny. “Bill told her to do this?”

“Bill is practical!” Penny shouted at Charlie. “He wouldn’t let his feelings get in the way of what needs to be done!”

“You’ll kill her and for what?!”

Tulip started to step forward, wand raised when they all froze. The door behind them clicked, once, twice, three times, and then began sliding into the earth.

“Now,” Barnaby told Penny, raising his wand again to close the wound. The blood stopped, but Ari, deathly pale, blue lipped, and cold to the touch, was only sitting because Charlie was physically forcing her to. As the door vanished, Penny rushed forward, motioning for Charlie to lay her flat.

“Open her mouth,” she cried, fumbling with the cork. They opened her lips, and with her head propped up in Charlies lap, Penny began to pour the clear solution into Ari’s throat. The rest of them stood there, terrified, watching to see if it would work.

“You brewed it wrong,” Rowan accused Penny after several agonizing seconds.

“I’ve never brewed anything wrong!” Penny snapped.

“She lost too much blood,” Ben said, pointing his wand at Barnaby again.

“I’m okay,” Ari murmured, struggling to sit up. She felt like she might throw up, but warmth was returning to her limbs and she could think coherent thoughts again. “Just give it a second and trust each other.”

“You should have been honest!” Rowan told her.

“You wouldn’t have let me, if I was.”

“Because we love you!”

“Well try to love me less,” Ari snapped, sitting up on her own. “Because that’s probably not the worst thing that’s going to happen to us tonight. You can’t freak out every time I almost die.”

“How many times do you plan on almost dying?” Charlie asked her, touching the ends of her hair.

“We haven’t even found Jacob yet,” she reminded him. She was still a little shaky. Penny had warned her it would take a full hour before she felt completely normal again, and Ari didn’t have an hour. It was playing right into Jacob’s hands to enter his labyrinth in poor health, but what choice did she have? She stepped in and torches sprung to life. Barnaby came to stand next to her, pressing something into her hand.

“A knife?” She asked, looking down at the blade.

“Dagger,” he corrected. “Just in case.”

“And string,” Rowan added, tying the end to the torch closest to the entrance.

The nine of them walked down the stairs, underground to the maze. “What do you think is in here?” Ben whispered nervously, eyes darting around.

“Everything we fear,” Ari responded, walking forward.

 

“Ariadne…” a musical voice sang from a corner of the maze Ari couldn’t see. Barnaby and Charlie froze.

“What?” Ari whispered as the rest of the group stopped.

“I think we should split up,” Barnaby finally said after having what looked like a wordless conversation with Charlie.

“What?” Ari said. “We didn’t talk about that.”

“It’s fine,” he said quickly, looking at the path ahead of them. They could branch left or keep going straight. “I’ll go this way, you guys go straight.”

“No, I won’t-“

“Let him,” Charlie said firmly. “Trust me.” He turned to Barnaby, clapping a hand on his shoulder. “Are you sure about this?”

“Not at all,” Barnaby agreed. “If I’m wrong, get them out at any cost. Like we agreed.”

Charlie nodded. “I will.” Ari blinked as Charlie and Barnaby suddenly clapped each other into a fierce hug. Barnaby put his hand on Charlie’s shoulder after pulling out, looking at him seriously. “Be safe brother.”

“You too,” Charlie responded, and with that Barnaby took off to the left, leaving everyone else standing there, dumbfounded.

“Let’s go,” Charlie said, leading them forward. Ari’s eyes were focused on Charlie. “What was that about?”

“You asked us to research magical mythological creatures. We agreed if we discovered certain ones, we’d handle them ourselves.”

“What creature?” Rowan asked from the back of the group.

“A manticore,” Charlie responded softly, never taking his eyes off of the path ahead of them. They were all so focused and frightened that they didn’t notice Rowan step back, further behind, until she was gone, following Barnaby, string abandoned on the ground.

 

*

Barnaby and Charlie had researched every possibility thoroughly and had come to several conclusions. The most dangerous creatures would be waiting for them as trials, each more dangerous than the last. They were certain they would find those that you couldn’t defeat with magic. Jacob would know by then that she’d bring her friends, and rely on them for help, therefore anything easily defeated by magic was just a road block. He’d want to weaken them as a group.

They’d promised that one of them would deal with the dangerous ones, either alone or as a group. The manticore was the only one they didn’t have a plan for, other than pure distraction. Barnaby had always known it would be him, if they encountered it. Ari would need Charlie more than she needed him. He’d played his part, anyway. Her mind was firmly locked tight, and she could duel with the best of them. Charlie knew as much about magical creatures as he did and could guide her the rest of the way.

He heard it, again, it’s sing-song voice. He hoped he was getting closer and hadn’t accidentally abandoned his friends to face it. The labyrinth created the illusion that everything was both much closer, but further away than it actually was.

He turned a corner and there it was. Body of a lion, tail of scorpion, and face of a human. It smiled widely at him.

“What a beautiful meal,” it said to him. He froze, his nerve momentarily gone. It swung its massive tail at him and his legs came back to life, dodging at the very last second. He tried to blast a charm at it, knowing it wouldn’t work.

The musical laughter floated into his ears as he climbed back to his feet. Behind it, he saw there was more path. If he could get past it, he might be able to catch up with his friends.

He shouldn’t have given Ari his dagger, he realized.

He was defenseless.

 

*

Charlie threw his arm out at the sight of the lion. They’d been wrong, the manticore was directly in their path.

“Manticore!” He said, raising his wand. Tulip pushed forward.

“No,” she retorted as the creature turned. Where a lion’s face should have been, a human face sat instead. “See the tail? It’s a Sphinx.” It was much larger than Ari thought an actual lion might be, but she had no real frame of reference for how big lions should be. Like, large dogs, she thought? This was the size of a horse.

It smiled, opening its mouth, and began speaking. “Three riddles you have to answer,” she told them. “Answer correctly and you can continue forward.”

“And if we don’t?” Tonks asked from the back.

Andre, who was moving through the group to stand next to Tulip, responded, “It’ll kill us.”

“Okay,” Ari said, agreeing to the terms. Tulip and Andre were Ravenclaws and had to answer riddles every time they entered their house. Surely, they could handle this, she thought. And if not, they’d resort to defensive spells.”

The Sphinx offered it’s first riddle:

 

_“There is one father and twelve children; of these each_

_Has twice thirty daughters of different appearance:_

_Some are white to look at and the others black in turn_

_They are immortal and yet they all fade away.”_

Tulip turned to Andre, repeating it back to him slowly, as if to make sure she understood what had been said.

“Twelve children, who have twice thirty daughters…” she said.

“So, sixty,” Andre supplied. “Immortal…but fade away.”

“Uh, no, okay, one father, that’s a year, and his twelve children are the months in a year,” Tulip said quickly, glancing back at the Sphinx, who was watching the two of them emotionless.

“Sixty children each…there’s only thirty days in a year,” Andre responded.

“Day and night!” Tulip said quickly, turning to the Sphinx. “It’s the year and it’s days and nights!”

 

The Sphinx nodded. Penny cheered, and Ari gave them a thumbs up. One down, two to go. They quieted down as the Sphinx began its next riddle.

 

_“I look at you whenever you look at me;_

_You see me but I see not; no sight have I;_

_I speak but have no voice; your voice is heard;_

_My lips can only move uselessly._

“That’s easy,” Andre said as Ari and Charlie exchanged blank glances. “My reflection,” he told the Sphinx, which nodded. Ari exhaled. One more, and they were free to continue forward. Tulip was bouncing up and down on the balls of her feet. Ari had seen Charlie do that before right before a Quidditch game. Maybe it was because she associated Tulip with mischief making, that it was surreal to watch her take this Sphinx on like it was nothing.

 

The Sphinx looked past Tulip and Andre and made eye contact with Ari. Her heart sank.

 

_“The giant from the East_

_Was slain by man and beast_

_And laid upon his pyre to rest_

_To feed a ravenous desire_

_He’d swallowed a woman whole_

_Then, feeling hungry still, he tried_

_To swallow a horse and thus he died.”_

Tulip and Andre’s began repeating it to each other, trying to untangle the hidden meaning behind the words.

“A giant from the East?” Andre asked Tulip, looking up at the ceiling. The Sphinx smiled again, her eyes locked on Ari. She began flipping through the family mythology. She couldn’t think of any stories involving giants that ate women and horses. Tulip turned to Ari, at a loss. The Sphinx’s tail was whipping behind it.

“Swallowed a woman whole,” Ari repeated slowly, stepping forward, an image starting to form in her mind. She must have read every piece of mythology by now, and as she repeated it in her mind one last time, it began to take shape. “Laid upon his pyre to rest,” she continued, taking one more step forward. She hated Jacob.

The Sphinx was grinning. “Τροία,” she whispered. The Sphinx moved, opening the passage for them. The seven of them passed through, saying nothing until the Sphinx was out of view.

“What was it?” Tulip asked.

“Not all of us speak Greek,” Andre added.

“The city of Troy,” she responded.

“Oooh,” Tulip and Andre said, putting the riddle with the legend. “I get it now.”

Ari didn’t say anything, prepared to continue on, until Tonks asked, “Where is Rowan?”

They turned, but Tonks was right. Rowan was gone.

 

*

Her back was pressed up against the stone wall, her breathing heavy. Ari might have been willing to let Barnaby sacrifice himself for her, but Rowan wasn’t. She didn’t know what he was chasing after, or she might have thought twice about it. The Manticore was savage in its attacks and Barnaby was defenseless. Magic was useless, and she could tell Barnaby was wearing down. He couldn’t fight forever. She was terrified, which was preventing her from thinking clearly. She looked around the corner again, watching as Barnaby was pinned on his back, the massive tail attempting to sting him.

She looked around her. Nothing was in her pockets but her wand. At her feet was a loose stone and dirt, nothing immediately useful. She looked back at the stone. She could throw it at the Manticore, give Barnaby the chance to escape, draw its attention to her. And then another thing to worry about, she cursed herself. She racked her brain but all she could think of was Ari’s story about the labyrinth. Theseus took the minotaur down with a sword and string, and she had neither, having left the string behind.

A sword. She looked back at the stone. She could transfigure it. Kicking herself for not thinking of it sooner, she waved her wand, exhaling, and with nothing more than her own skill and a hope, she watched the stone turn into a large, heavy sword. She picked up with both hands and peered around the corner. It was over for Barnaby. His eyes were closed. Had he given up? Blood roaring in her ears, she turned the corner, unseen by the Manticore, whose back was to her. Its tail was raised, the stinger curled over it’s back and inches from his face. She crept closer, her steps disguised under the Manticore’s crooning. It was singing loudly to Barnaby.

She almost walked away, too afraid she might fail. She had never failed at anything. She looked down at Barnaby, his face serene and ready to die, and steadied her resolve. Would Tulip let Penny die because she was scared? Would Charlie fail Ari? No. And neither would she.

She lifted the sword over her head and with a guttural scream, swung it down with all the force in her body, severing the tail from the Manticore’s body. With a sickening thud, the appendage fell and the Manticore screamed, a sick sound. Barnaby was on his feet in moments as the Manticore swung around, splattering blood across the room. Blood covered her face and clothes. Barnaby grabbed the sword from her and lunged up as the enraged created came for them. The blade sunk into its chest, cracking bones echoing around them. Barnaby twisted the blade forcefully before pulling it back out, watching the Manticore collapse to the ground, breathing heavy, blood pooling around it. It was silent now. They watched until it stopped moving completely.

“You came for me?” He asked, dropping the sword. She flung herself at him, touching his face.

“You would have died if I didn’t,” she told him, her voice bordering on near hysteria. “How could you do that to me? I love you!”

She’d never said it to him before. He pressed her harder against him, burying his face into her hair. “It was your face I saw,” he told her, his words muffled. “Right before you showed up like Merlin himself, or, er-herself, I guess? I was thinking about you. I thought, if I died, at least I’ll see you one more time.”  
“No,” Rowan said fiercely. “You aren’t allowed to make those kinds of decisions without me ever again, do you understand? If you want to die, you have to run it by me first.”

“I didn’t want to die,” he clarified. “I was just willing to.”

“Not without me,” she said as he leaned to kiss her.

“You’re right,” he agreed. “I don’t want to do anything without you, ever again.”

 

*

They hurried through the maze, nervous. They’d heard Rowan scream, followed by a more terrifying scream, and they were officially scared. Ari kept repeating that Rowan was smart, Rowan was capable, and whatever she’d found was dead and Rowan alive. Any small noise made them jump. It didn’t help that Ari’s head was pounding and she was physically exhausted. Why had she thought that emptying her body of nearly all her blood would be fine?

She hadn’t had a choice, she reminded herself. They wouldn’t be here if she hadn’t. She looked around, trying not to be impressed with what Jacob had accomplished in his tenure at Hogwarts. He had stumbled on an ancient evil buried deep within the castle and somehow harnessed it to create the vault she was standing in. She wondered what he might have been able to accomplish if he’d just really loved plants, or charms, or anything that didn’t involve raising an evil dark lord.

A sweet-smelling breeze blew into her face. She coughed.

“Get back,” Penny said immediately, grabbing Charlie’s arm. “Ari what just sprayed at you?”

“I don’t know?” Ari responded, coughing again. Her throat felt like it was coated in pepper. “It’s scratchy though.”

Penny had a belt with different potion bottles hanging off her hips. “What did it smell like?”

Ari blinked, trying to clear her vision.

“Ari?” Charlie asked, stepping forward. She could hear him but couldn’t see him. She closed her eyes again, rubbing them hard. A film was forming in her mind and she forgot what she was doing. She tried to remember, eyes closed. Killing. Killing? That seemed wrong, she thought. Killing what? Could she kill anything?

She opened her eyes and stumbled backwards. In front of her, a massive man stood, with the head of a bull, it’s mouth wide open and displaying huge, yellow teeth. Oh yeah. Killing the minotaur.

“Ari?” Charlie asked, stepping forward again, arm out. She pulled her wand out, pointing it directly at his chest.

“GET DOWN!” Penny screamed as light blasted out of Ari’s wand. Andre grabbed Charlie, pulling him out of the radius just in time. Her spell blasted a hole in the stone wall behind them. Charlie looked at the hole, wide eyed, and back at Ari, who was still standing, eyes glued to him, wand pointed threateningly.

“She can’t see you,” Penny warned, undoing her belt so she could look through what she had.

“What DOES she see?!” Charlie demanded, throwing a shield up to deflect another spell. She looked feral in her blood-stained dress, hair wild around her face, her green eyes so dark they almost had no color at all.

“How could I know that?!” Penny shouted back, bottles clanking on the floor. Andre and Ben were helping, reading labels off to her. Behind Charlie, Tulip and Tonks were trying to stun Ari, but she was quick, having been tutored by Barnaby.

“Isn’t she tired?” Tulip asked as Ari deflected quickly.

“She’s running on adrenaline, here, hold her still and make her drink this!” Penny said, holding a bottle with dark blue liquid in it.

“Sure, hey Ari, mind standing still?” Charlie called. In response, she threw a curse back, blasting more of the wall behind them.

“She’s unreasonable,” Tonks agreed.

Ari heard none of this, convinced that the minotaur was real in front of her. She could see herself throwing curses with everything she had, and its body deflected everything with ease. Maybe, she considered, it’s skin repelled magic. She ducked behind the corner, where it couldn’t see her, although she could hear it braying, and reached into her pocket. A dagger. Wasn’t that how she was supposed to kill it, anyway? She felt like she’d been told she’d need to use a knife. She clutched it in her hand, turning the corner again. It brayed at her again, a disgusting sound, and she looked up. She could blast the ceiling down, trapping it, and cut its throat. She raised her wand, dagger in her other hand, ready.

“RUN!” Tonks screamed, realizing instantly what Ari was planning. They turned, making a break for it, as Barnaby and Rowan turned the corner.

“ARI NO!” Rowan shouted as Barnaby tackled her, knocking her face first to the ground. Rowan pried the dagger out of her hand and kicked it out of reach.

“Flip her over!” Penny told Barnaby, coming back. Charlie, Andre, and Ben came to help, pinning her to the ground. She was screaming and struggling violently, thrashing her head back and forth. Tulip held Ari’s head between her knees as Rowan pried her mouth open.

“What is wrong with us?” Penny asked suddenly, casting the full body bind curse on Ari. She instantly stopped moving, mouth frozen open. “Lift her head,” she told Tulip. Tulip obeyed and quick as a flash, Penny poured a liquid in to Ari’s mouth for the second time that night.

“Swallow it, Ari,” Penny told her fiercely. “Before you kill someone.”

They sat there in silence, waiting. Finally, Penny looked over Ari. “Blink once if you can see me, Penny Haywood.”

Ari blinked. “Blink twice if you promise not to try and kill me.”

Ari blinked again, and then again. Penny uncursed Ari, who didn’t move for a second. She reached her hand to her eyes and rubbed again. Rowan helped her to her feet and Ari looked at them, shame faced.

“I’m sorry,” she murmured.

“You almost killed all of us,” Ben told her, eyes huge.

“Jacob almost killed all of us,” Barnaby corrected. “What did you see?”

She glanced over at Charlie. “A minotaur,” she admitted.

Barnaby bent down and picked his dagger up, putting it back into her pocket. “Come on. We’re almost there.”

 

In the center of the maze stood a podium with a book opened. Ari recognized it immediately. His journal flipped to the middle. Two eyes were sketched into it with words printed carefully underneath. The nine of them crowded around it.

“What does it say?” Rowan asked.

She sighed. “Ώρα να πάω σπίτι, Αριάδνη,” she said, reading it literally in ancient Greek. “Time to go home, Ariadne.”

“On three?” Tonks asked. Ari nodded, and Tonks began counting. “One. Two. Three.” The nine of them put their hand on the journal and a familiar hook jerked them.

They were gone.


	17. Red Earth & Pouring Rain

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> After this chapter, there is only one left and it should be posted in the coming week. I've enjoyed writing this so much, and I hope you enjoyed reading it. :)

 

_Been running forever love, forever_

_I've been running away._

_I forget what I'm running from, but it still scares me today_

_What I found in you, love, no one can ever take that away_

_Something forever in the red earth and the pouring rain._

 

 

 

She laughed when they landed. She’d been right, all along. Jacob had no imagination. The island looked exactly like she remembered, only it was completely empty now. Turning around, all the houses were gone, and grass had reclaimed everything.

“Whatever you do,” she said as her friends looked around, dazed. “Don’t touch the water.”

“Where are we?” Charlie asked.

“Where ARE we, Ariadne?” A loud voice demanded. Above them, on a hill, Jacob stood, black robes billowing in the wind. He began walking down, his wand twirling between his fingers. “Do you remember this place? The beach?” His lip curled when he said ‘beach’. “How disappointing,” he continued, coming closer. “I thought I could take a couple of you out. I wonder if I still can.”

With a pop, he vanished mid step. They looked around, wands out, searching. Behind her, the ocean crashed against the beach reassuringly.

A roar shattered the peace. “Dragon,” Charlie said, looking up. It was their missing dragon from the forest, circling in the air above them. He took off running. Barnaby turned to join him when another sound drew his attention. Ari looked at it with dread. Jacob had turned the island into a zoo of mythological creatures, she thought, as Barnaby and Rowan took off after the chimera. Tonks followed Charlie towards the dragon. Tulip, Penny, and Ben looked at Ari, unsure of what to do.

“Go,” she urged them. “I have to face Jacob by myself.” She knew he’d be waiting for her at the bottom of the hill, towards the beach. She watched her friends run off, unaware of the dangers awaiting them when they reached the top.

She felt the cold before she saw the dementors swoop and was tempted to turn and help, but Jacob reappeared on the edge of beach and threw his robe off his shoulders. She made her way to him, mind locked like a fortress, wishing she looked less like a crime scene.

“I’m disappointed you didn’t kill one of your friends,” he said conversationally, as if he was telling her it was a little warm outside. “I was really hoping to see the ginger one die, personally.” He looked up, where Charlie was attempting to calm the furious dragon behind them. “I’ve been torturing that dragon for months, it’s hungry for revenge. How poetic, to be killed by the thing you love the most. Does it hurt, coming in second to a beast?”

“You’re just as stupid as you were last year,” she retorted, his words stinging. He had been in her mind; he knew her insecurities.

“Ouch,” he rolled his eyes. “I guess so.” His eyes drifted down her dress, blotchy red from the bloodletting. “How’d you figure out how to get in?”

“You killed a girl, Jacob,” she said accusatorial. He laughed.

“Who told you? Dad? Or Dumbledore? No wait let me guess. It was Dumbledore. Dad could never admit his heir might do something wrong. He let me get away with so much, I really should thank him. It was supposed to be you, you know. Did Dumbledore tell you that, or did you guess?”

“You can’t hurt me,” she told him, taking another step forward. “I’m not a little girl anymore. Isn’t that your preferred prey, children who can’t defend themselves, like a coward?”

He blasted her back, slamming her into the ground. She had been so focused on landing her barb that she’d forgotten he was holding his wand.

“Looks like I can still hurt you,” he said, looking down at her clinically. “Does it hurt, Ariadne?”

She slashed upwards, never taking her eyes off him, watching with satisfaction as his body spiraled through the air. He landed on sand, face down, as the water came rushing for him. He jumped up, quickly, laughing.

“Close, Ariadne. That was tricky, I’ll give you that.”

“This is over, Jacob,” she told him, on her feet, ignoring the sounds of screams from behind her. Jacob couldn’t possibly understand because he had never loved anyone or anything, but Ari trusted that her friends would be okay. They were better together.

“I’m not coming home with you, Ariadne,” he said, his eyes behind her, a smile dancing on his lips. “And if you kill me here, today, my work will go on. There will be another after me, to complete what I started.”

“I’m not going to kill you,” she said. He looked back at her, eyebrows raised.

“Then I’m going to kill you, like I’ve been trying to do for years. You should have stayed away and ridden off into the sunset with your blood traitor boyfriend. You’re playing with the grown ups now, and now, suddenly, you can’t finish what you started?”

“You started this Jacob!” She shouted.

“Το ξεκίνησες όταν γεννηθήκατε!” He screamed in their native language, his calm features contorting into rage.

“I started it by being born?” She repeated in English, liking how mad it made him. “I didn’t ask for that, and if you’re mad about it, why didn’t you take it up with mum and dad?!”

“You, prancing around in your ribbons, looking just like dad! His little English princess,” he sneered. “

Ήταν λάθος!”

“The only mistake was you!” She shot back. They were circling each other, wands pointed at the other. “Standing here trying to blame your sins on me! Οι επιλογές σας ανήκουν σε σας, όχι σε με!” _Your choices belong to you, not me._

Wands raised, they began dueling and despite his age and training, Jacob was evenly matched with her. They were both defender and aggressor, switching as was necessary. A shout from behind her, “CHARLIE LOOK OUT!” followed by a scream, diverted her attention just long enough to give Jacob the upper hand. She went sailing through the air, her wand flying out of her hand, and landed hard on the edge of the beach. Jacob was on her, grabbing her by the hair and pulling her to her feet. He grabbed her by the throat and with inhuman strength, lifted her in the air, squeezing so she couldn’t breathe. He stepped onto the sand and began walking towards the rushing shoreline. She kicked her feet, desperate to escape, fingers trying to pry his hands off of her.

“It should have ended here thirteen years ago,” he told her, looking at the water just out of reach. It would have enough momentum in seconds, engulfing her. She was frantic. “You’ve been living on borrowed time ever since. I hope it was worth it, to end like this.”

Her mind flashed, rapidly, through her cherished memories. Meeting Rowan. Opening the first vault with Bill. Ben, Penny, Tulip, Barnaby, Tonks. Charlie, asking her to marry him.

“ARI!” She heard a voice, far away, scream for her. The water was almost at her feet. She let her hands fall from his, their eyes locked. The red was creeping in again, drowning out the green. She fumbled for the pocket in her dress, grabbing the hilt of Barnaby’s dagger, and quick as a flash, stabbed him in the arm, forcing him to release him seconds before a spell slammed into his chest, sending him flying into the water. She scrambled back as Jacob screamed, the knife still buried in his flesh and their eyes met. His face twisted with hate and he opened his mouth to scream something at her as arms pulled her back further. Water filled his mouth, and pulled him under with the tide, until he vanished.

She turned. Bill Weasley stood there, looking out at the water like a furious, vengeful God that had just taken retribution. She sat at his feet, and looked back out at the water, where Jacob had vanished, pulling her knees up to her chest and waited for the water to settle and begin it’s steady in and out again.

 

*

Bill sat next to her, trying to relax his jaw. Behind him, her friends were descending, dirty, bleeding, and bruised but triumphant. A dragon was trailing behind Charlie, snorting softly but otherwise content to settle midway on the hill. He placed his hand on her snout, rubbing gently before continuing down to Ari.

“What do you want to do?” Bill asked as everyone settled down around them. She rested her chin on her knees, watching the water.

“We should bring his body back,” she finally said, eyes stinging. “It wasn’t supposed to end like that.”

“He was going to kill you,” Bill told her fiercely. “I couldn’t- “

“He would have died, even if you hadn’t shown up,” she interrupted him. “The water was coming when I stabbed him.”

“You stabbed him?” Barnaby interjected. “Nice.”

Rowan elbowed him.

“How did you even get here?” Charlie asked his older brother, a shiny burn forming on the side of his face.

“I wrote him,” Ari answered. “Days ago. I thought we might end up here.”

“You didn’t tell us,” Tonks said with disappointment.

“I didn’t know if he’d show up,” Ari admitted. “Leave it to Bill to come right in the nick of time.”

Bill was staring out at the water, his face troubled. “Are you sure you want to uncurse the beach? Maybe it’s better to leave him where he is.”

“No, she said firmly. “I want to take my brother back home.

 

Ari and Charlie stood at the top of the hill next to Jacob’s discarded journal, watching Bill work to uncurse the water below them. Ben had agreed to retrieve Jacobs body with a bubble head charm. He was the only one of them, outside of maybe Rowan, who was good enough to do it. Ari thought Ben wanted to do something, since he’d been so unhelpful in the fight against the labyrinth, the chimera, and the dragon.

Charlie’s face was burned badly, his arms cut and bleeding. A little paste made of herbs from the greenhouses would fix him up, but she suspected he wouldn’t mind living with the burn for the rest of his life. He was staring, seriously, down at his brother, watching a yellow light shoot from Bills wand and fall over the water. Next to him, Ben waited anxiously. Behind them, a large green dragon napped in the sunlight.

“How did you do it?” She asked after a moment.

Charlie shrugged. “Ask me in a week.”

She exhaled slowly, thinking she should go down and help Bill. She didn’t want to move. “When I came to Hogwarts, this isn’t what I imagined. I thought things would end up differently. Even…even right up until the end, I hoped…”

“Rain,” he said, cutting her off as he looked up. Ari looked up at the sky, dark now. She hadn’t noticed it. She slid her shoes off and scrunched her toes into the earth under her, watching as the water from above dampened the soil, her feet became stained a reddish brown.

“I’m sorry,” Charlie told her, cutting across her thoughts. “If I could change things for you, I would. I can’t, though, so all I can do is be here and start over with you.”

She looked back down at her hand and the ring glittering on her finger. It seemed like a lifetime ago, and not hours, that she’d agreed to forever.

“I’m still scared,” she admitted, and he nodded.

“Me too.”

*

The sun was rising when they emerged victorious from the forest, their parents and teachers waiting, like the year before, by Hagrid’s hut for them. Ari didn’t have the energy to deal with her hysterical parents, especially when they realized that she’d brought Jacob back. They’d transfigured a stretcher and Bill, Charlie, Andre, and Barnaby carried a section of it, a mock processional through the forest. They set his body on the ground as her parents came rushing over, falling to their knees at the sight of his body. Ari couldn’t summon any sympathy.

“What was he like?” Her mother cried, touching Jacob’s hair.

“He tried to kill me,” Ari responded flatly, leaving them to their weeping. Molly Weasley caught Ari as she walked past, engulfing her in a huge hug while somehow fussing over her appearance. Bill and Charlie were talking to their dad, unaware of Ari’s discomfort. She broke away, glad for the Weasley’s as a whole, her eyes fixed on the only person she wanted to talk to. Dumbledore, waiting at the edge of the parents and faculty, watching her.

Professor Sprout was the only other person to touch her, grabbing her hand and squeezing it tightly, pity etched into every line of her face. “You poor girl,” she murmured, letting her hand go.

“I guess you have some questions for me?” Dumbledore asked when she finally reached him. She nodded. He put his hand on her back and guided her back to the castle, leaving her friends and their families behind. Ari was exhausted, overwhelmed, and desperately wanted to sleep. It had been the longest twenty-four hours of her life. She needed to tell Dumbledore everything, and she did, the second she stepped into his office. She didn’t wait for him to sit as she began, starting from the moment they arrived at the door to the vault.

Dumbledore, for his part, listened patiently, hands folded, as Ari, often accusatory, recounted the events. When she finished, he gestured for her to sit.

“You must be wondering,” he began, peering over his half moon spectacles at her, “Why I withheld your brother’s past from you.”

“It would have been nice to know,” she snapped.

“I thought, rather foolishly, that allowing you to be here without the knowledge of Jacob’s crimes hanging over your head, would allow you to make your way through Hogwarts without feeling responsible for his actions.”

“But I did, anyway,” she responded. Dumbledore nodded in agreement.

“Ah, you did. By the time I realized my mistake, it was too late for me to tell you. Would you have done things differently, had you known?”

“No,” she said instantly. She’d told Charlie that at the beginning of the year, and it was still true now. “But I wouldn’t have wasted so much time hoping to find a brother who loved me.”

“Perhaps, perhaps not,” Dumbledore agreed. “What you have, Ari, is a near infinite ability to see the best in people, even when they cannot see it themselves. Mr. Lee and Ms. Karasu have been better for it.”

“I wanted to bring him home alive,” she whispered, eyes stinging again. She was dangerously close to full blown sobs. Dumbledore nodded.

“I told you, this summer, that you embodied everything that Hufflepuff is proud of. You know, as I know, and as I suspect deep down, your parents know, that Jacob made his choices willingly and knowingly, and nothing could have changed his mind.”

“He said someone else would finish what he started. Do you think it’s possible?” She asked as a tear slipped out of her eye. She wiped it away quickly. It was the one question she wanted answered the most.

Dumbledore considered for a moment. “It’s possible, when Voldemort vanished, that he did not die, and so it is possible that Jacob may have discovered a way to bring him back or that he was not the only one to discover this. The thing about magic is, almost anything is possible. What you did may have saved so many, at a great personal cost to yourself, and for that, I’m awarding Hufflepuff one hundred points.”

Her tears were falling freely now. She wasn’t in trouble, and while the points weren’t enough to prevent a Slytherin victory, it was acknowledgement from Dumbledore himself that she’d done something, and it had mattered.

“I might ask to trouble you for one last thing,” he said, standing and coming around his desk. “Your memory, of your brother on the beach. Would you mind letting me have it?”

Behind him, a bowl with silvery liquid stood. She recognized it as a penseive, a device to review memories. He wanted to look at hers? She thought for a second. Why would Dumbledore want to see what happened on the beach?

“Okay,” she agreed, recalling the memory as he pulled the silvery wisp from her temple. It tickled, and then it was gone. She could still remember it, so it was no real loss to her.

“Can I go back to Hufflepuff tonight?” She asked, her exhausting finally settling on her like a weight. Dumbledore set the vial with her memory on a shelf and appraised her appearance. She wondered what she looked like, suddenly. All she wanted was to get into her bed and sleep for the next twelve hours.

“I think Madame Pomfrey would be very angry if I didn’t send you to her, so off you go,” he told her. She stood to leave, looking back at him one last time. He was staring at the vial again. She was tempted to ask why he wanted her memory, but she decided not to ask. She didn’t think he’d tell her, anyway.


	18. Born to Run

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Am I the worst for waiting like, six months to finish this? Yes. I deserve your derision. I have been dealing with an illness, and then death, in the family and my thoughts were preoccupied.  
> However, this is story is finished, though I do have a second part to it that features their shenanigans during the war. If you're interested.
> 
> <3

_I'm born to run down rocky cliffs; give me grace, bury my sins_

_Shattered glass and black holes can't hold me back from where I need to go_

_Yellow hills and valley's deep, I watch them move under my feet_

_Stranger things have come and gone, to see the world and take the throne_

_Don't look back. Oh I won't look back_

_I'm going to live my life like I'm gonna die young_

_Like it's never enough_

_Like I'm born to run_

 

She didn’t want to go back to the hospital wing, where everyone would fuss over her, so she meandered throughout the castle, directionless at first. Everything looked the same and nothing looked familiar she thought as she tried not to pay attention to her surroundings. Intuitively, she knew where she’d end up, and it was no surprise when she found herself on the lawn, making her way towards the trees. How much of her life had centered around this forest? She couldn’t bring herself to go back in, so she sat down at the edge, letting the sharpness of the ground dig into her skin. She was still blood stained and scarred, her hair wild and tangled. A light breeze rustled around her, but she didn’t move.

How did she begin to process everything, she wondered? She had never stopped long enough to contemplate what came after or what she’d do once Jacob was gone. She searched herself, looking for relief but all she found was emptiness. He was her brother, after all, even if he’d never thought much of her. If she was honest with herself, she’d loved him right until the end, though it would never have been enough to stop her from following through with what had to be done.

She heard the sound of a stick snapping and soft footsteps on the ground. She didn’t have to turn around to know who had come out to find her. Long, brown legs folded beside her and Rowan was sitting there. “Thought I would find you here,” she murmured, looking out at the trees. Ari didn’t respond as emotion began swelling in her chest. “Are you okay?”

She thought, before Rowan came, that she’d feel empty forever. Instead she turned her head and looked at her best friend and began to cry. “He’s really dead,” she said as Rowan pulled Ari into her body, her hand stroking Ari’s hair. “I know he had to but-“

“Shhh,” Rowan told her. “I know.”

Ari let it all out, every emotion she’d had over the last seven year pouring into Rowan’s shoulder until there was nothing left to cry. Rowan, for her part, said very little and just let Ari be as the sun rose higher in the sky. As Ari began to calm back down, Rowan released her and the two became separate people again.

“What will we do now?” Ari asked, wiping her eyes on the back on her hand. Rowan looked back at Ari, her brown eyes warm and hopeful.

“Live happily ever after, I hope,” she said as Ari let out a strangled laugh.

“Is that even possible for us?” She asked, pulling her knees up to her chin.

“I think so,” Rowan said as she began to stand. She offered a hand to Ari, who took it and clambered to her feet clumsily. “You should sleep.”

“I’m afraid to,” Ari admitted.

“Penny has a potion for that. We can skip the hospital wing…for now. I think Dumbledore will understand.”

Ari exhaled softly as Rowan offered her her hand. Ari took it, clasping it tightly. Rowan walked quickly and Ari struggled to keep up, though she kept her head down and avoided making eye contact with anyone who passed them. She didn’t take her eyes off her feet until the made their way down the stairs towards the Hufflepuff common room.

Inside, Penny and Tonks were waiting for them, pacing nervously back and forth. When they saw Ari, they both visibly relaxed.

“You found her,” Penny said, rushing to Ari but stopping just short of touching her.

“Madam Pomfrey wants her to come to the hospital wing,” Tonks added.

“Can’t it wait for a while?” Rowan asked.

“I just want to sleep in my own bed,” Ari told them. “Without nightmares.”

“They’ll _have_ to wait,” Penny said fiercely.

“I can create a diversion if you’d like?” Tonks offered as Ari shook her head, making her way towards their dorm.

“Just quiet,” Ari told her.

“You should change, at least,” Penny said, flitting around the room towards Ari’s trunk and pulling things out. Rowan and Tonks helped Ari out of the blood-stained dress as Penny tossed a yellow t-shirt and plaid shorts at her.

Ari sat on the edge of her bed, looking at them. “I’m fine,” she finally said as exhaustion caught up with her, threatening to sweep her away. Penny, always one step ahead, was shoving a cup with an opaque, white liquid into her hands.

“And a terrible liar, as usual,” Tonks told Ari cheerfully as Ari gulped the spearmint flavored potion down.

“ _You’re_ a terrible liar,” Ari grumbled, attempting to get under blankets.

“And witty,” Penny rolled her eyes. “Don’t forget witty.”

“Who could?” Ari asked before she slipped into blackness.

-

“I’m sure she’s fine,” Tulip said for the eighth time that day, ignoring her breakfast. It was impossible to enjoy anything when her friends were all on edge. Ari had just vanished after they got out of the forest and in the confusion no one had been terribly concerned at first. But she’d never gone to the hospital wing and Rowan, Penny, and Tonks had effectively banned any non-Hufflepuff from their common room, which was setting everyone else on edge. Charlie, in particular, was one more rejection away from lighting the entire castle on fire. Ari, supposedly, had been asleep for almost twenty-four hours now.

“Maybe she left,” Barnaby responded, pushing a sausage around his plate. “And didn’t want us to know.”

Charlie’s fork clattered onto his plate as Ben shot Barnaby a death glare.

“I only said what everyone is thinking,” Barnaby said defensively. “If I were her I would too…”

“She didn’t leave,” Tulip said vehemently.

“Who didn’t leave?” Penny asked, sitting next to Tulip, her hair perfectly braided and her uniform neat.

“Ari,” Barnaby and Ben said at the same time. Penny immediately looked at Charlie, perhaps for the first time since they’d arrived back from the forest. His arm was still raw from the dragon burn, though his face was healed nicely. He looked ragged, as if he hadn’t slept in years. She sighed.

“She didn’t leave,” she told the table, though her eyes were locked with Charlies. “She’s in the Head Girls bathroom right now taking a bath and then she’ll be….” Penny trailed off as Charlie jumped out of his seat and left.

“Is she alright?” Tulip asked once Charlie was out of earshot.

Penny nodded. “She just wanted to sleep without nightmares, but she was making jokes this morning.”

Barnaby finally speared his sausage and put it in his mouth. “That’s my girl.”

-

He knew, rationally, that he should wait and let her come down for breakfast like a normal human being. He was past that at this point. He hadn’t slept in almost two days though he’d tried. It was impossible when his mind kept replaying her nearly dying over and over, and the moment when he turned around and she was just gone. He’d tried to go after her but had been detained by his parents and McGonagall, who were concerned about his face. What did he care about his face, he thought angrily, running his fingers through messy hair?

But Madame Pomfrey had begun throwing around words like ‘shock’ and ‘third-degree burns’ and his mother had made him stay and apply the cream to his face and arms and take the potion to sleep. He did, grudgingly, assuming when he woke up, she’d be back. She wasn’t, though. Rowan was keeping everyone out, telling them Ari just needed to sleep and she’d see them when she was ready. He needed to see her though, for his own sanity if for nothing else.

The bathroom reserved for head boy and girl were next to each other and ridiculously easy to get into. No passwords, no wand movements, so secret stones. The room seemed to know who did and did not belong, or, perhaps, anyone could just go in if they wanted, but the perception that it was not for everyone stopped them.

Inside he found her in the largest bathtub, eyes closed and surrounded by bubbles. Alive, he thought, relief washing over him. He hesitated, for a moment, suddenly feeling silly at how desperate he’d been to see her. She’d never just leave without telling him. They were past all that. He turned, quietly, and started to walk back out when her voice stopped him.

“You don’t have to go.” He turned again, to see pretty green eyes watching him, framed by semi-wet red hair. “You can stay.”

He slipped his shoes off and made his way to the edge of the tub, which was more pool than bathing apparatus really, and rolled up his pant legs so he could put them in the water. She watched him, saying nothing, a small smile tugging at her lips.

“I thought…” he started to say but he trailed off.

“That I left?” She filled in for him. He looked down at his hands, a little ashamed. “Rowan told me you were worried. I was going to come down for breakfast but I haven’t bathed since…”

“It was stupid,” he said quickly, running another hand through his hair. She was still watching him, her eyes sharp.

“Have you slept?”

“No,” he admitted, cringing a little when she sighed.

“You should sleep, Charlie.”

“How?” He asked, trying to keep the desperation out of his voice. She had Rowan and Penny and Tonks to unpack that night with, to help her process her feelings and emotions and make sure she slept and bathed and ate. Who did he have? His fussy parents, who didn’t really have the time to worry about him when they had his younger brothers and sister to worry about? Bill, who had clenched his jaw tightly and vanished before Charlie could speak with him? He told her everything and she’d been gone.

She swam over to him and with more strength than he’d imagined she had, or, perhaps he was just much weaker than usual, yanked him into the water. He gasped as his head slid under, his eyes screwed shut. The tub was deeper than it seemed, which only strengthened his argument that it was really a drain-able pool. He let himself sink fully to the bottom before kicking upwards and shooting back to the surface. She was waiting for him, sitting on a ledge that jutted out from the side. He joined her, nosily sitting next to her as water poured out of his clothes.

“You could have warned me,” he grumbled as she rested her head on his shoulder. “I would have taken my clothes off.”

“You would have complained,” she told him softly. “You can take them off now, if you want.”

He pulled his shirt off and tossed it onto the floor and slid out of his slacks, but kept his underwear on just in case someone barged in. Just two people bathing together, he thought as he imagined what he’d say to McGonagall if she caught them. Just two very normal friends engaging in normal friend activities. He laughed a little as he imagined telling her he bathed with all his friends, which inevitably included Barnaby and Ben.

“What?” She asked, looking up at him.

“Just picturing taking a bath with Barnaby and Ben,” he told her. He brow furrowed and she giggled.

“Why?”

“Its…nevermind.”

“I’m sorry,” she said after her giggling died down and the silence surrounded them again. He shook his head.

“You should be allowed to process your feelings without worrying about me,” he told her, a little ashamed that he’d been so upset she’d abandoned him. He, after all, hadn’t had to kill his brother.

“I am always worried about you,” she told him. “And I always will be, now.” She lifted her hand out of the water to show him the ring on her finger.

“That feels like a lifetime ago,” he said, letting the warmth of the water and the moment surround him. He closed his eyes, just for a second.

“It does. Have you changed your mind?” She asked.

His eyes flew open and he was taking her face in his hands and kissing her before he registered the actions. He stopped himself before his feelings overwhelmed him and they really did get caught being inappropriate in a bathroom, resting his head against her forehead.

“Never,” he told her as she ran her thumb along his jaw.

“You should go to sleep,” she finally told him, lifting herself up out of the bathtub and wrapping a towel around her body. He reluctantly followed, grabbing his wand and, with a slight wave, dried his clothes. He repeated it on himself, keeping his back to her as she quietly dressed. There was no need for her to pretend she hadn’t been in the water, he thought, turning around just in time to see her wrap her hair in the towel.

“I don’t want to sleep,” he told her as she rolled her eyes. She slipped her hand into his and walked back out into the castle with him, towards the Gryffindor tower. She didn’t say anything, but she looked just as she always had and he wondered if maybe she was the same, despite everything.

“OY!” She shouted, startling him. Why was she shouting, he wondered sleepily? He turned and realized they were outside Gryffindor and his two younger brothers, Fred and George, were trotting towards her.

“Your Headshipness,” Fred bowed sarcastically.

“How can we serve you?” George asked. Ari ignored their mocking.

“Put him in bed, no matter what he says,” she told them, unclasping her hand from his.

Fred eyed his older brother warily. “And if we do…?”

“I’ll ignore the obvious fireworks in your pockets,” she said brightly, giving George a wink. She turned her back and flounced off, leaving Charlie with his brothers.

“You heard the lady!” George told him, pointing at the portrait. “Get to bed!”

\--

Ari got up, ready for their last day ever in Hogwarts. The sun was streaming in from their dorm window and somehow, miraculously really, Ari was the first up. She threw on jeans and her favorite shirt, Charlies Quidditch shirt with Weasley emblazoned loudly on the back and left her hair down, curling softly around her shoulders.

“You are SO noisy,” Tonks grumbled as Ari snapped her trunk lid shut, throwing her pillow in Ari’s direction but missing dismally.

“It’s like, eight thirty,” Ari told her, throwing the pillow back. “I’m going to raid the kitchen.”

“Ooh wait for me,” Penny said, rolling out of bed. “I want to get as many cinnamon buns as I can physically carry.”

“Let’s take a basket!” Rowan flung the bed covers off, revealing that she was already dressed and had just been reading quietly. Typical Rowan, Ari thought with a smile.  

“We could just go to the great hall and let them serve us buns,” Tonks complained, falling over the side of her bed in an attempt to sit up.

“They ration them,” Penny said. One bun at a time but I want eight of them, on my plate, waiting for me.”

“I just want to say goodbye to the house elves,” Rowan said as Ari, Penny, and Tonks all booed, throwing pillows in her direction.

“It’s our _last day_ Ari,” Penny said with exasperation, looking at Ari’s shirt. “Can’t you even try to pretend you’re a Hufflepuff?”

Ari smiled, crossing her legs under her body on her bed as Penny slipped on butter yellow flats to match the soft yellow sundress she was wearing.

“I don’t need to advertise my Hufflepuff-ness,” Ari told her with a grin. “If you look Hufflepuff up in the magical dictionary it’s just a picture of me, offering to be your best friend.”

“Besides, Ari needs to show off a little,” Rowan said with a sly smile, grabbing Ari’s hand.

“Oh my GOD tell me everything,” Penny gushed, grabbing Ari’s hand and turning it to look at the ring.

“Is there _anyone_ not engaged at this school?” Tonks complained.

“Ismelda, probably,” Ari responded, laughing when Tonks began gagging loudly.

The four of them bounced out of their dorm like they were first years again, excited about the possibilities before them. There were new paths, now, ones outside of the walls of Hogwarts that they’d have to navigate but in that shining moment, surrounded by her best friends, Ari wasn’t worried about the future. Everything felt possible again. They raided the kitchens, just as Ari had hoped, though it was impossible to really raid as the house elves were more than happy to give them anything they asked for. They made their way into the great hall towards their table which was somehow empty of their friends. It was strange to see only Hufflepuffs sitting there when it had been a sanctuary for anyone of any house that wanted to join them.

“Ugh, Slytherin,” Tonks said darkly, taking in the tapestries decorating the hall. Ari glanced towards the giant hourglasses that housed the house points, scrunching her nose slightly.

“They cheat to win,” Penny said, two baskets of cinnamon buns looped through her arms. “But they can’t ruin our perfect day today.”

The four of them walked to their usual spots and sat, placing the baskets of cinnamon buns in the middle of the table despite all the other food that was already set out. True to her word, Penny began piling them on her plate as the rest of them attempted a more balanced approach towards breakfast.

“Ooh buns!” Barnaby said, plopping down next to Rowan and reaching into the basket. “How did you get these?”

“A little early morning shenanigans, I see,” Tulip added, squeezing in next to Penny. “Harassing the house elves, were you?”

“No,” Penny said, her voice muffled by all the bread in her mouth.

“Hufflepuff’s dormitory has the best spot in the castle,” Ben said wistfully, joining the table on the other side of Barnaby, Charlie right behind him.

“It’s because we’re the best house in the castle,” Ari said quickly as Charlie reached across her for one of Penny’s buns.

“Not according to the house cup you’re not,” Barnaby said smugly as everyone else groaned.

“Hey, no house politics today,” Rowan said sternly. “Just fond memories.”

“Remember that time Rowan tripped right there…second year? Took out all those fifth year Ravenclaws?” Tonks immediately asked, pointing towards a spot in the great hall. The table erupted into laughter. Even Rowan had a good laugh at her own expense.

“We had some good times here,” Penny said looking around.

“I wonder what it’ll be like to leave,” Ari mused out loud, setting her fork down.

“Things will be the same,” Tulip said quickly.

“Not everything. We won’t live with each other anymore,” Ben reminded her.

“We’ll still be best friends though,” Tulip shot back fiercely. “But with grown up jobs.”

“Speak for yourself,” Ari joked. “I plan to have a very childish job.”

“You hear that Charlie? You’re going to have to support Ari,” Barnaby teased. Charlie grinned, tossing his head back with mock confidence.

“Only the finest for my wife. I’ll build you a cute little cardboard shack in a literal alley in Diagon alley.”

“You spoil me,” she laughed.

“Dumbledore warned me we’d need each other in the coming years,” Barnaby told them, his face more seriously. “And that we should stick together.”

“Do you think it’s about…” Penny trailed off, leaving the unspoken hanging in the air. No one wanted to talk about Jacob and what he’d done or tried to do. It was easier for all of them to hope that Jacob’s work died with him, and they’d never have to think of it again.

“I think that the real world is going to be its own challenge,” Ari finally said, watching her friends relax. “It makes sense we’d still need each other.”

Still, it would never be exactly as it was right then, and they all knew it.

\--

After breakfast, Rowan and Barnaby broke away from the group, agreeing to meet them at the lake later for one last attempt at drawing out the giant squid. There had been a lot left unspoken between them and she’d had no time to talk to him on her own. The two of them seemed too impossible to ever make work, she thought with a lot of sadness. Despite her respectable wizarding heritage, her family were only tree farmers and not from the same, wealthy class as the Lee’s, or the flawless bloodline the Weasley’s boasted, which might make up for a lack of gold.

“I was thinking,” Barnaby said, cutting through Rowan’s gloomy thoughts. “I might rent a flat in Diagon Alley for the summer.”

“Oh yeah?” She asked, unsure what this meant for her.

“I’m not going to take the ministry job. I was offered an internship at a magical menagerie and I want to take it.”

“Won’t your parents be mad?” She asked him, biting her lower lip.

“Let them die mad,” he responded tautly. “If they wanted something to control, they should have gotten a dog.”

He grabbed her hands and spun her around to face him. “I want you to live with me,” he told her, his green eyes bright with hope. “I know that I don’t deserve you. I’m not smart or brave like you deserve but you make me want to be. You could work towards your certifications to teach and I could work with animals and we could ignore blood purity and family names and just be…be happy.”

She thought her heart might explode. She’d expected him to tell her that some things could not be overcome, and they were one of them. After all, they were not Penny and Tulip, together despite societies narrowmindedness or so obviously right for each other like Ari and Charlie that nothing was ever going to stop them. She was mousy, meek Rowan and he was handsome, wealthy Barnaby and sometimes when she imagined what life might be like for them, she could not picture it because it seemed too unrealistic.

Except, here he was, laying everything she’d wanted at her feet and telling her it was nothing to give it up. He was so earnest, so hopeful that she felt she could meet him halfway.

“Be happy,” Rowan repeated as Barnaby’s hopeful smile began to fade into worry. “Do you really think we could be?”

“Why not us?” He asked her with all his usual sincerity. “Why can’t we have what everyone else has?”

She let him pull her into his arms, a little dazed. “My dad won’t like us living together unmarried.”

Barnaby laughed. “Your dad will have to get over it.”

\--

“Ms. Young!” Professor Sprout stopped Ari from leaving the castle, about to trek down to the lake with Charlie. He paused, too, still holding her hand though he let go when he saw the disapproving look, she shot them. “She will survive without you, Mr. Weasley.”

“See you in a bit,” Ari said, watching wistfully as he walked out into the sunshine without her.

“Walk with me a moment, will you?” Sprout asked, though it wasn’t really a question. Of course Ari would go and indulge her long-suffering head of house this one, last time. They followed Charlie out, though veered in the opposite direction, towards the Care of Magical Creatures classroom.

“I remember when you sat under the sorting hat,” Sprout began, her steps slow. She was gazing down at Ari like a fond aunt and not a teacher than Ari had disrespected at ever turn. “I was so pleased to see you sorted into Hufflepuff. Our house get’s an unfair shake sometimes. People think that the kids with no good or interesting qualities get sorted into Hufflepuff. What good, people have asked, is friendship without courage or hard work without ambition or loyalty without cunning?”

Ari jammed her hands in her pockets, unsure where Sprout was going with this. “You sure showed them, didn’t you?”

Ari paused, stopping in her steps. “Professor?”

“I watched you, over the years, extend friendship across all four houses, a feat very few students ever manage. You’ve brought out the best in Mr. Lee and Ms. Karasu, if I do say so myself. Convinced seven other students to follow you into the unknown and inspired such loyalty in them that at points myself and other faculty thought they might be willing to die for or with you. You, in your time, have embodied all the best qualities of Hufflepuff and even though I wish you might have listened to me a little more often, I am so proud to share a house with you.”

Ari shifted her weight from one foot to the other. “I…” she didn’t know what to say, but she could feel a lump forming in her throat.

“Keep your friends close to you, Ms. Young. Even the Weasley. And when you’re out, doing great things in the world as I’m sure you will, try and remember to wear a yellow shirt with your own last name on the back of it occasionally, too.”

Sprout left her there with a wink as Ari blinked in the sunlight, her mouth curling into a wide smile. She watched Sprout stroll back into the castle before she laughed loudly, startling a nearby bird from it’s perch. She jogged towards the lake, where everyone was gathered and waiting on her.

“What did Professor Sprout want?” Charlie asked as Ari started kicking off her shoes.

“Just to tell me to stay out of trouble,” she chuckled before they began splashing in the water.

\--

Somehow the day was gone, and then the night too, and the seven of them were left to part ways for the last time. When they found each other again on the train ride back, everyone was quiet.

“Can’t believe we’ll never go back,” Andre finally said once the train was moving.

“Some of us might,” Rowan quipped to the eyerolls of all.

“You know what I meant,” Andre told her. “Not as students. Not as a group looking forward to unraveling a mystery and getting into shenanigans.”

“I’ll never see that angry look on Snape’s face when I’ve pushed him to the breaking point,” Tonks said sadly, her bubblegum pink hair drooping slightly, as if it were sad too.

“I won’t miss him,” Barnaby said with a scowl. “I hope to never see him again.”

“Personally, me too,” Ari agreed. “I don’t know. I think it’ll be nice to be able to start over somewhere and just be ourselves. No Jacob hanging over our heads.”

“I wonder what our lives would have been like if he’d just been a regular student?” Rowan wondered.

“Would we even have met?” Tulip agreed, staring out the window.

“Yes,” Charlie said, shifting defensively in his seat. “I wanted to meet Ari from the moment I saw her.”

“And when did you first notice me?” Ben asked to chuckles from the cabin. “We all know of your long-standing love for Ari and no one is doubting that, but for some of us, Ari is the common thread.”

“I feel so touched I could bring you all together and I expect each of you to honor me by naming your first-born child after me.”

“Ah yes, my first son will be Ariasthamus Tonks,” Tonks told Ari seriously. “He’ll be a Ravenclaw, naturally, because you need an advanced wizarding degree to pronounce his name.”

“Fine, middle names then,” Ari conceded. “Or a nice bed time story about me, the most important person in its parent’s lives.”

“What do you think the real world will be like?” Penny asked.

“We’ll find out soon enough,” Ben told her. The seven of them looked around.

“We’ll find out together,” Tulip promised.


	19. I Found

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Epilogue-  
> revisiting the past and reconvening three years in the future

_I'll use you as a warning sign_

_That if you talk enough sense then you'll lose your mind_

_And I'll use you as a focal point so I don't lose sight of what I want_

_And I've moved further than I thought I could_

_But I missed you more than I thought I would_

_And I'll use you as a warning sign_

_That if you talk enough sense then you'll lose your mind_

_I found love where it wasn't supposed to be_

_Right in front of me_

 

_\--_

_First year:_

“I need you all to line up alphabetically! Come on, line up!”

“How could we possibly know that?” Tulip Karasu groused as Professor McGonagall squished her into line.

“I must be at the end,” Ariadne Young told her new- and only- friend Rowan. “My last name is Young.”

“Young?” McGonagall stopped her and Ari was aware that several people were now staring at her. She nodded as McGonagall took another look at her. She waited, holding her breath, until- “You’re here, behind Weasley, come on now.”

Ari looked at Charlie Weasley for a moment, recognizing the same fear on his face that she felt herself. Blue eyes, she thought, standing behind him. Red hair. She wasn’t tall enough to see around him, but she thought they might be the only gingers.

Ahead of them, McGonagall got the last of the first years in line and began marching them into the great hall. The entire room was staring at them and Ari hated it. She knew they had to be sorted, but couldn’t it be a more private thing? Did everyone have to watch?

She let her mind wander, trying not to focus on the first girl who walked up, legs wobbling, to the hat. Red, green, yellow, and blue. She wondered where she might end up. Jacob, her brother, had been a Hufflepuff…before he vanished. His disappearance didn’t recommend the Hufflepuff house to her.

She watched a mousy blonde boy- Ben something- scamper off to Gryffindor. Gryffindor might not be terrible, she mused. They valued courage, right? Was that her? She didn’t feel very courageous, she reflected as Haywood, Penny was the first among them to be sorted into Hufflepuff. Her train friend, Rowan, was also sorted into Hufflepuff, leaving Ari more confused. In front of her, the ginger boy turned his head slightly, looking back at something. She kept her eyes on her shoes, ignoring cheers from the houses when new members were added.

The moment she dreaded, when it was just her, watching Weasley run off towards Gryffindor, and she had to walk alone to the hat as everyone waited. She sat on the stool and closed her eyes as the hat covered her face.

‘Young, eh?’ A voice said in her head. ‘Thinking of your brother, are you?’

‘I want to know what happened to him,’ she admitted in her mind, grateful no one else could hear.

‘And so you will. That kind of loyalty only belongs in one place…’

She squeezed her eyes shut tighter as the hat screamed, “HUFFLEPUFF!”

The hat was lifted from her head and she stumbled up and made her way to the sea of black and yellow, sliding in next to Rowan from the train.

“I knew you’d be one of us!” Rowan said with all the confidence Ari lacked. Across from her, the blonde with the braids-Penny, and Tonks with the pink hair, were watching her as if she were a curiosity.

“Better than Slytherin though, eh?” Tonks said cheerfully to Ari, offering her a huge smile.

Ari nodded. Better than Slytherin.

Across the room, Charlie Weasley sat next to his older brother Bill, watching the red head who had stood behind him during sorting. Ariadne Young, McGonagall had said. It was silly how disappointed he was when the hat called her for Hufflepuff. It would have been nice if she’d been a Gryffindor, too. At least, it would have been easier to get to know her if she had been.

“I wonder if the Young girl is related to Jacob Young,” Bill mused, interrupting Charlies own thoughts.

“Who is Jacob Young?” Charlie asked, looking away from Ariadne.

“He opened a bunch of cursed vaults here at Hogwarts and then just vanished. I’d love to see what’s inside one of the cursed vaults…or even open one myself. I wonder if she knows anything.”

Charlie looked up at his brother, who was watching Ariadne, and felt a twinge of jealousy. Call it sibling rivalry, and the hero worship Charlie had always felt for Bill, but Bill was good at everything. He looked back at her, laughing at something another Hufflepuff said, and frowned. If Bill was interested in Ariadne, he didn’t stand a chance.

\--

_Fourth year:_

“Have you been in the forest at all this year?” Bill asked Charlie casually, smoothing his hair from his face. Charlie glanced up from a book he was reading, eyes narrowed.

“Are you asking as my house prefect, or my brother?”

“Just your brother,” said Bill, holding his hands up defensively. “A friend of mine needs a guide into the forest.”

“I’m not a tour guide,” Charlie said, looking back down at his book. “Take them yourself.”

“I guess I could see if Barnaby is up to take Ari into the forest. He knows a lot about magical creatures, but he doesn’t always have his wits about him in dangerous situations…” Bill mused out loud as Charlie snapped his book shut.

“Ari wants me to take her into the forbidden forest?” He asked, eyebrow raised. Could his brother hear his heart pounding through his shirt? He wanted to play it cool, but it was instantly obvious that Bill knew everything going on in his head.

“She does,” he said in a tone that suggested she did not. “Technically.”

He placed the book on his lap. “Technically…?”

“She technically needs and wants someone to take her into the forbidden forest so she can investigate a Red Cap-“

“And you told her that it was way too dangerous?” Charlie prompted.

“And I told her that my younger brother could probably do that for her, and she asked me to ask. So technically yes, she does want you to take her.”

“Did you tell her she could die?” Charlie asked.

“You can! When you meet up today in the Three Broomsticks for a drink.”

Charlie jumped to his feet, his book falling to the floor with a thud.

“You set me up with her?” He hissed as he tried to get a hold of his thoughts. He’d spent the last four years secretly watching her from afar but had never said anything directly to her. She was Bill’s friend, and despite all the times Bill had tried, Charlie had always been afraid if he spent any time around the two of them he’d see she’d fallen hopelessly in love with his brother. It seemed like most girls at Hogwarts were in love with Bill these days. Even Ari’s best friend, Rowan, was. Ari took Bill with her on all her adventures and Charlie couldn’t stand to be a part of it.

“Someone had to,” Bill told him, turning his back and jogging up towards his dorm. “You need to be there at three so you should probably change…and maybe shower first.”

Shower and change Charlie did before making his way to the Three Broomsticks to meet Ari. He almost turned around and went back twice, but this was an actual chance to speak to her, to sit across from her and make her aware that he existed. It was, he thought darkly as he walked through the door, the only way he’d ever know if she had feelings for Bill. For his own sanity, he wanted to know that.

She was sitting in a corner table, far from everyone else, with a massive butterbeer almost untouched in front of her. She had a soft, green sweater on and blue jeans, and her red hair was tumbling in loose curls down her shoulders. He took a deep breath and sat down across from her and their eyes connected. Hers was as green as he remembered, like soft grass on a summer day. A smattering of freckles blankets her nose and her lips parted in a soft smile.

“Charlie?” She asked. He would remember that forever, he thought. Her voice saying his name.

“I heard you want to find a red cap,” he heard himself telling her. It was as if he was watching someone else manipulate his body because he certainly was not in control.

She smiled. “Well, I don’t want to find it, just it’s hole. Bill said no one knows the forest better than you.”

“Hagrid probably does,” Charlie conceded. “But I do know it pretty well. Well enough to know that looking for a red cap is really dangerous.”

“Danger is my middle name,” she told him with a playful smile. “Haven’t you heard about me?”

He paused, pretending to think. “I don’t think I’ve ever heard your name before.”

She leaned back in her seat, looking at him wistfully. “In my dreams.”

He watched her for a moment, wondering if she did wish for obscurity. He couldn’t see why she would; it might be his own biases about her, but she was magnificent.

“I’ll take you into the forest,” he told her, pleased when her entire body lit up. “When do you want to go?”

“Can we go tonight?”

\--

Bill and Ari were waiting on the lawn for him, standing about a foot apart. It had taken Charlie longer to get there because he’d had to also sneak his broom out of his locker, and somehow Filch’s cat was everywhere at once. He’d expected that Ari would also fly, but she was waiting broomless.

“I hope it’s okay if we fly together,” she told him earnestly, her eyes reflecting the moonlight above them. “I am a hopeless flyer.”

“Is it okay, Charlie?” Bill asked, winking behind Ari’s back. If looks could have killed, Bill would have been dead, Charlie decided.

“It’s totally fine,” he assured her, mounting the broom high enough that she could hold on behind him. She followed, wrapping her arms around his chest, one hand gripping her wrist, and rested her head against his back.

“Is this okay?” She asked, unaware of just how okay it was.

He nodded, his throat dry. “It’s fine,” he told her.

“Don’t take too long,” Bill warned them. “The longer you’re gone, the higher the chances of discovery are.”

“You’re the boss!” She called cheerfully from behind Charlie. He nodded at Bill before kicking hard off the ground and sending them gracefully into the air. Ari’s grip tightened around him and Charlie had to remind himself to focus on what they were there to do- find a red cap’s hole- and not the girl holding him.

As they flew over the trees, he thought about her interaction with Bill. She hadn’t touched him, playfully or even at all. She’d been standing far enough away that any onlooker might assume they were casual friends, which, he supposed, they were. She didn’t laugh obnoxiously when he talked, or reluctantly leave him. In fact, Ari had barely given Bill a second look when it was time to go. 

Maybe, he thought as he navigated towards a clearing, whatever was going on between Ari and Bill was purely platonic.

*

The moment the red cap arrived, he knew they were in trouble. They’d taken too long poking around and now there was real danger that they couldn’t protect themselves from well. She was standing next to him, her body postured defensively, but he could hear her breathing and it sounded scared. Red caps killed witches and wizards without a second thought. They were fourteen years old and not equipped to face this creature, which Charlie couldn’t help but marvel just a little. He’d always wanted to see one in person…but maybe not this close.

The red cap lunged and Ari, without a word, jerked her wand and sent the creature flying backwards so hard that some of the earth on the ceiling showered down on them. He turned his head and looked at her, eyes huge.

“Where did you learn to do that?” He asked her, stunned.

She didn’t take her eyes off the red cap. “I’m a pretty good dueler,” she told him seriously. Pretty good? That seemed like an understatement to him. He watched, his own wand useless but raised, just in case, as she flicked her wand again and the red cap, still dazed on the floor, exploded into a million tiny cinders.

“We should go,” she said, pocketing her wand. “Just in case there are more.”

“There are always are,” Charlie said ominously, following her out. He took one last look around the hole, committing it to memory because he would never, ever be coming back to one of these places.

Back in the cool forest air, he could take stock of her again. She was watching him carefully, her expression guarded.

“I hope you’re not upset that I killed it,” she told him after a long pause. “I didn’t want…you know. It to kill us first.”

“I understand,” he told her honestly. “Where did you learn to do magic like that?”

“Books. Rowan is always buying me books…and Barnaby helps me practice them. Our Defense Against the Dark Arts teachers are kind of useless, aren’t they? So, I have to teach myself if I want to keep opening vaults.”

“Did you find anything useful,” he asked her, falling into step with her as they made their way back to where he’d hidden his broom.

“No. I know there’s a vault out here somewhere, though. I just don’t know where.”

“Maybe the dragon is guarding it,” he said absently, running a hand through his long, messy hair.

“Dragon?” She asked skeptically.

“I’m positive there’s a dragon living in the forest,” he said, trying to temper his enthusiasm for the subject. “I just haven’t been able to find it.”

“Well that makes sense, given how subtle and quiet they tend to be,” she told him sarcastically.

She was walking so close to him their hands brushed, just for a moment. He glanced over at her, but her eyes were far away, and he didn’t think she’d registered the touch at all.

“You’ll find the vault,” he reassured her. She sighed.

“Sometimes I think I should stop. Every year it gets a little more dangerous and every year I put my friends in harms way. We could have been killed, you know. I just…I wish I knew why he was obsessed with opening the vaults. What was he looking for?”

She’d never told him anything personal about her life or why she was always opening cursed vaults, which was an open secret at Hogwarts, so he just listened, unsure what he could say that might make her feel better.

“If I could just know…you know? Then, at least…I don’t know. I don’t know if it would be enough.” She took a deep breath, stopping in front of him. “What would you do if it was your brother?”

“I’d never stop,” he told her honestly. She sighed, before reaching out and grabbing his hand to squeeze it.

“Thanks Charlie.”

He found his broom and they mounted, flying silently back towards the castle. Bill wasn’t waiting for them this time, and he was reluctant to let her go.

“Hey,” she said as he began to make his way back towards his Quidditch locker. “Want to meet in the library tomorrow?”

“What for?” He asked, his heart picking up again.

She smiled, biting her lower lip for a second, before replying, “I heard there is an acromantula hiding out in there. Maybe there’s a clue to vault?”

“See you in the library, then,” he agreed, waving as she walked off.

It occurred to him, as he stored his broom, that acromantula’s were just as dangerous as red caps. Was he really going to repeat this night all over again?

Yes, he decided. He’d go wherever she asked him to.

\--

 _Fifth year_ :

Ari felt like an idiot. Fifteen was too young to face a dragon, and she should have heeded all of Charlie’s warnings. She could have killed them, and she’d lost Jacob’s journal in the process of escaping. How could she have let it go, she asked herself for the hundredth time since they’d escaped the forest? Her parents were irate, promising her a long summer grounding the minute she arrived home. Boarding school had been threatened, though Ari wasn’t taking it too seriously.

She made her way back towards the hospital wing to apologize to Charlie. She never should have dragged him along with her. She knew his parents must be furious, too, and disappointing the Weasley’s was somehow worse than disappointing her own parents. Molly had become a surrogate mother to her, the kind of mother she wished her own mother was. Ari felt a twinge of guilt for thinking that, but her mom was distant and sometimes she wondered if they didn’t blame her for what happened to Jacob.

She slipped into the hospital wing and made her way to where Charlie had been forced to stay overnight, at McGonagall’s request. There was still one last Quidditich game, after all. No one in Gryffindor could afford to lose him. He was lounging against the white metal bed frame, a book in his hand. His bright, red hair was pulled into a bun at the nape of his neck but some of the hair had escaped and was falling casually into his eyes.

Don’t think about it, she instructed herself. Her heart picked up, despite the warning. Had he always been that lovely, she wondered to herself as she stood there staring? She didn’t want to walk down this road with this boy, not today and maybe not ever. Her life was dangerous and everyone who got close to her got hurt…like he was, right now.

“Ari!” He said, interrupting her thoughts. “What are you doing here?”

“I came to see you,” she told him honestly, shoving all her panicky thoughts out of her mind as she sat on the edge of his bed. “Make sure you’re alive.”

“I can honestly say I have never been better. I knew there was a dragon in that forest. She was…ugh. Magnificent. Perfect. It might have been the best night of my life.”

“We almost died, Charlie,” she reminded him with a frown. “You’re in the hospital wing.”

He waved his hand breezily. “Because mum and McGonagall are over worried. No one forced you to stay.”

“No one worries about me like they do about you.”

He shot forward, grabbing one of her hands. “I do,” he told her seriously. She looked down at the large, pale hand holding her own and swallowed hard. Did he have to do this now, when she was having a moment of realization. She forced herself to look in his eyes and was greeted with an old memory. A little boy with a scared face and blue eyes. He’d stood in front of her at the sorting ceremony, so close and yet a stranger at the same time.

“Well,” she said, clearing her throat and gently taking back her hand. “You don’t have to. I’m okay. I’m always okay.”

He leaned back again, his demeanor cool and unaffected. “You’re a terrible liar, Ari. Always have been.”

“I’m glad you’re okay. I’ll leave you to your book.”

He shot her a bright smile. “I’ll see you at dinner tonight,” he called as she walked away. She didn’t turn, or look back, until she was safely outside the hospital wing. She pressed her back against the cool, stone wall of the hospital wing and closed her eyes as she slid down slowly.

The Weasley’s were family, she told herself firmly. Charlie and Bill were brothers. She imagined Bill, trying to think. Had there ever been a moment, in all the years they’d faced danger, that she’d ever felt a twinge of romance for him? She knew the rumors, people had been trying to put them together for years. They’d been in plenty of dangerous situations, including once when Bill had been literally incased in ice after helping her open a cursed vault. Never, though, even when she’d been truly afraid they might die, had she ever once thought of him as more than a brother.

Things were different with Charlie, though…and they always had been. Right from the start. She’d been so caught up in her little quests that she’d never given much thought to what it was about Charlie that made him different to her. She’d needed him, yes, but hadn’t he become indispensable to her almost instantly? She should have let him go back to his life. She should, she thought honestly, have had Barnaby go with her into the forest that night, and every night after. Barnaby knew as much about magical creatures as Charlie.

Charlie was special, she knew. Not just in the world, because everyone knew it, but to her specifically. She couldn’t go down this road, not today. Not after the dragon, or until they found Jacob. She wasn’t willing to follow her thoughts to their logical conclusion because there would be no going back for her. She climbed back up to her feet, suddenly grateful for a summer away from everyone. She could get herself together on her own and come back normal and not confused or conflicted. They could all stay friends without anything getting in the way.

She could forget her feelings for Charlie over the summer.

\--

_Three years later:_

“Latelatelatelatelatelate,” Ari said to herself in a continued stream under her breath, running down a corridor.

“Calm down, we’re going to get there in time,” her partner for the day, Bill, said but even his typical easy-going demeanor was replaced by what could only be described as intense stress.

They were supposed to be undoing a very simple curse placed on an underground Viking tomb, left over from an invasion in Brittan centuries earlier. It should have taken them a couple minutes, max. They had planned to split the gold among them, taking equal halves back to the bank, collect a paycheck, and continue on the rest of their day.

Ari knew she never should have agreed to curse breaking with Bill in the first place. It seemed like things always went worse when he was with her. They tempted fate when they were together. It was even worse, today, though, because today she was supposed to be getting married. In less than an hour, Ari was supposed to walk down the aisle and agree to spend the rest of her life with Bill’s brother, Charlie.

Instead they were fleeing further underground, through an elaborate maze of walls and tombs, trying to escape the wrath of a long-dead Viking that had returned from the dead when they’d touched his tomb. While she knew that once they got their bearings and found a spot, they could hold their ground, taking down the specter would be no problem. However long that took was another matter entirely. It could take all day.

They hit a wall. “This is as good as it’s going to get,” Bill said, sounding worried.

“Let’s just get it over with,” Ari replied as a ticker tape of the word late continuously ran through her mind. If she was late, Charlie might, for the first time in their relationship, actually kill her. Or, more realistically, be angry with her. Ari could handle a lot of things, but Charlie’s disappointment was not one of them. She lit her wand and waited.

Now or never.

\--

“Everything’s great, tell Molly that this wedding is happening as scheduled!” Rowan told Ginny Weasley cheerfully, refusing to open the door more than a crack. Her body was wedged between the open space awkwardly, preventing anyone from seeing inside. Ginny did not seem convinced but didn’t argue, turning around to report to her mother. Rowan slammed the door in a panic.

“She’s still not here,” Rowan moaned, locking the door behind her.

“She probably got cold feet,” Tonks said knowingly as she helped Tulip curl her hair. “Twenty-one is too young to be married.”

“I was married at eighteen,” Tulip snapped., hands fidgeting in her lap.

“It was still a dumb idea,” Tonks said with no hint of remorse.

“Yes yes we all remember your twenty minute toast on the perils of teenage marriage-“ Penny interrupted from her pacing.

“Although I’m still so impressed with those statistics you found,” Rowan interjected as Tulip turned her head to hiss in Rowan’s direction.

“-But Ari is actually missing, and she’s supposed to be walking down the aisle in like, twenty-five minutes. What the HELL am I supposed to say to Charlie when she doesn’t show up?”

“Tell him that she’s dead,” Tulip said seriously. “So, he’s too sad to murder the rest of us for letting her run off with Bill this morning.”

“You don’t think it’s possible she’s got cold feet though, do you?” Rowan asked after another tense moment of pacing and glancing out windows. They were in Ari’s house in Romania, standing in the second bedroom of their two-bedroom house. Charlie had spent the first year after they graduated building it for her specifically, nestled right up against the mountains. They had been apart, Ari training in England to be a curse breaker under Bill, while Charlie apprenticed with a dragonologist and began putting the funding together for his dragon sanctuary.

Ari had cleared the room out for her friends to use as a space to change on the day of the wedding. None of its usual contents remained, though she knew that typically, a large bed sat in the room for guest use, since Ari and Charlie were adamantly against the idea of having children. Instead, Ari had replaced the furniture with chairs and a large hanging rack for dresses. All but hers had been removed. Rowan crossed the hardwood to touch the long, white dress, wanting to take it out of the plastic and zip her best friend into it.

“I think we need to tell Charlie that Ari isn’t here,” Rowan said, turning back to her friends. “We’re running out of time and if we wait too long, he might think she’s really decided to skip out on him.”

Tulip and Tonks both turned to look at Rowan, their faces grave with agreement. Only Penny disagreed, her expression outraged.

“Out Ari? Now? In her greatest hour of need?” Penny asked in disbelief. “We haven’t come this far just to abandon her now. If it comes down to it, Tonks will just have to blow up one of the mountains as a diversion.”

“I do have fireworks outside,” Tonks told them seriously.

A loud explosion outside interrupted their conversation. The four of them rushed towards the window to see Bill Weasley looking disheveled and sooty, holding his wand in front of him defensively. He stumbled to the side slightly before smoothing out his shirt and relaxing his stance. They saw his mother rush over, her words impossible to distinguish, and then the sound of a door slamming shut behind them. They turned to see Ari, wild eyed and in tatters, leaning against the door.

“How long do I have?” She asked, reaching for the doorknob behind her and locking it loudly.

“Not long enough to undo all of…this,” Penny told her, gesturing vaguely towards Ari.

“Should I tell Charlie…” she asked uncertainly, her eyes wide with fear.

“No!” Rowan and Tulip said quickly. “We can still do this without him ever knowing!”

“Okay,” Ari agreed. “Let’s do it.”

\--

“You’re late,” Charlie muttered without dropping his pleasant smile, as Bill took his place at Charlie’s side in front of the altar.

Bill looked impeccable, Charlie thought with satisfaction, noting his pristine black dress robes and neatly combed hair, pulled into a soft, sleek pony tail at the nape of his neck.

“Just in time, by the looks of it,” Bill replied, waving hi to one of his aunts sitting in the third row. They were sheltered under a large, white tent and guests were filing in, filling up little white chairs. Charlie didn’t stop smiling as guests nodded towards him, taking their seats.

“What was the commotion in the yard?” Charlie asked him, watching Professor Sprout walk in with surprise. Had Ari invited her?

“Oh, just me being messy,” Bill replied as he straightened out his bow tie. “You don’t need to worry about anything.”

Charlie turned to look at his brother, who was decidedly not making eye contact with him. That was suspicious, he thought. Bill had been there that morning but once he’d begun getting ready Bill had vanished. Next to Bill, Ben and Andre were also looking anywhere but at him, which seemed strange. He’d have to ask Barnaby later, once the ceremony was over, but right now Barnaby was too far away to ask anything. Music was starting and Charlie took a deep breath.

This was happening. Against all odds, he thought, he’d managed to convince Ari to marry him and had gotten her to this day, where it was official. Final. No going back. If he was honest with himself, he had never really thought it would happen. Sure, they’d been dating since their seventh year and she had told him she loved him when she was sixteen, but it still felt surreal. Maybe because it had been a fantasy in his mind since he was an eleven-year-old, but there were times when he woke up in the middle of the night convinced it’d all been a dream.

Ari, for her part, never mentioned not wanting to marry him. Even now, though, if she hadn’t walked down the aisle, he’d believe it. She’d come to her senses and decide she could do better or wanted something else and leave him here, alone. Would it have been worth it, he wondered absently, eyes glued on the flaps to the tent? Yes, he decided as Tulip entered, looking perfect in the only dress he’d ever seen her in. Behind her Tonks, with her trademark pink hair, floated in, a Cheshire grin slapped on her face. Penny followed, ethereal as always, and then Rowan. He was holding his breath, he realized, and forced himself to exhale.

There was Ari, smiling at him, dressed in white. Her hair was curled softly and tumbling down her back like the softest waterfall he’d ever seen. Her dress, floor length, floated around her and reminded him of the dress she’d worn to their first dance together. Had she done that on purpose, he wondered as his eyes began to burn? Next to him, Bill elbowed him softly, but Charlie couldn’t bring himself to look over at his brother. Ari was in front of him and he laughed, letting some of the tears out. He wiped them quickly, not embarrassed, and took her hands.

“Don’t cry,” she whispered, her own eyes filling with tears. Every memory he ever had of her came rushing to the front of his mind as the wizard marrying them began speaking. He’d moved further than he ever thought he could, from being the faceless wizard that’d stood in front of her during the sorting ceremony to now, the man she had willingly agreed to marry. He barely registered what happened next- exchanging vows as his mother cried softly in the front row; exchanging rings and agreeing that they would stay together through hell or high water. One kiss sealed the entire thing, and then people were clapping and the roaring in his ears abated slightly as he inhaled again. Ari lifted their clasped hands in the air as they walked down the aisle together, laughing wildly as people clapped.

The danced and they laughed, and before he knew it the evening was over and they were alone, in the bedroom they’d shared for the last three years. She was undressed now, in just pajamas, her knees pulled up to her chin and a dreamy smile on her face.

“Are you happy?” She asked him when he joined her, motioning for her to lay next to him.

“Always,” he replied, breathing in the scent of her hair.

She smiled, twisting her body slightly so she could look up at him. “No regrets? You did marry the cursed girl, after all.”

He pulled her tightly against him, wishing she could feel how he felt for even a moment. “I have no regrets, Mrs. Weasley.”

“Ariadne Weasley,” she replied, testing it out. Charlie thought his entire body might explode. This wasn’t just her wearing his jersey, or him promising to give her his last name with no tangible ability to do so. This was real.

“Ariadne Weasley,” he repeated before kissing her. The night was shaping up to be one of their better ones.

He could have died right then, he decided. He'd never been happier.

 

All was well. 

 


End file.
